Phillies Claim Reggie McClain, Designate Trevor Kelley
By Matt Rappa
With spring training on the horizon, the Phillies have claimed RHP Reggie McClain off waivers and designated RHP Trevor Kelley for assignment.
Less than two weeks before pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, the Philadelphia Phillies claimed and designated for assignment right-handed pitchers on Friday: Reggie McClain and Trevor Kelley, respectively.
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McClain, 27, was claimed off waivers after being designated for assignment last week when the Seattle Mariners added southpaw Nick Margevicius from the San Diego Padres.
Reggie McClain’s ERA against the Astros in 2019:
— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) January 31, 2020
24.75 ERA
Reggie McClain against everyone else in 2019:
1.59 ERA
The Duluth, Georgia, native made his big-league debut last season, when in 14 appearances (two starts), he went 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA, 1.667 WHIP and 11-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio spanning 21 innings.
Kelley, 26, was claimed off waivers by the Phillies from the Boston Red Sox on December 2, and nearly two months later has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move to McClain’s addition. Kelley likewise struggled as a rookie last season, when in 10 appearances he went 0-3 with a 8.64 ERA, 1.680 WHIP and 6-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 8 1/3 innings.
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MLBTradeRumors.com’s Steve Adams writes that McClain “skyrocketed” across three of the Mariners’ minor-league levels last season, notching a combined 2.23 ERA, 8.9 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 0.5 HR/9 spanning 72 2/3 innings:
"McClain averages just under 94 mph on a heavy sinker that led to a huge 64.8 percent ground-ball rate in his 21 MLB innings, and his grounder rate in the minors checked in at nearly 60 percent as well. McClain still has all three minor league option years remaining, so if he sticks with the Phillies, they’ll be able to shuttle him back and forth between Philadelphia and Triple-A Lehigh Valley as often as they see fit."
McClain joins the following other Phillies right-handers on the 40-man roster: Victor Arano, Jake Arrieta, Enyel De Los Santos, Seranthony Dominguez, Zach Eflin, Edgar Garcia, JD Hammer, Mauricio Llovera, Adonis Medina, Hector Neris, Aaron Nola, Nick Pivetta, David Robertson, Robert Stock, Vince Velasquez, and Zack Wheeler.