Phillies option Kyle Garlick, Enyel De Los Santos to minors
By Matt Rappa
The Phillies have trimmed their roster to 28 players
Ahead of their four-game home-and-home series finale against the New York Yankees on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, the Philadelphia Phillies optioned two players to the team’s alternate training site in Lehigh Valley — outfielder Kyle Garlick and right-handed pitcher Enyel De Los Santos.
The roster moves were necessitated to meet Major League Baseball’s Thursday deadline to trim rosters from 30 to 28 players. Rosters were supposed to then decrease to 26 players four weeks into the seen, however Major League Baseball is keeping the limit at 28 from now through the postseason, with the exception of doubleheaders (29). In addition, the taxi squad has been expanded from three players to five for the same duration.
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Garlick, 28, had gone hitless in two plate appearances this season, both occurring in Game 1 of Wednesday’s twin bill doubleheader as the starting designated hitter. In 30 games last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Garlick slashed .250/.321/.521 with four doubles, three home runs, and six RBI spanning 53 plate appearances. Jay Bruce, Bryce Harper, Adam Haseley, Andrew McCutchen, and Roman Quinn remain as the only outfielders on the Phillies’ big-league roster.
Enyel De Los Santos has struck out 193 batters in 220.2 Triple-A innings. pic.twitter.com/7v7qrdsqqc
— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) June 20, 2020
De Los Santos, 24, had not yet appeared in red pinstripes this season, after going a combined 1-1 with a 5.70 ERA and 1.500 WHIP spanning 12 games and 30 innings between the 2018-19 seasons.
Currently, the Phillies need a starter for Sunday’s home game against the Atlanta Braves; the right-hander’s demotion means he likely will not be filling the role, which means top pitching prospect Spencer Howard could be recalled for his debut.
The Phillies would need to make another roster move, in addition to Garlick and De Los Santos, if Howard is called up, as well as when right-handed reliever Reggie McClain returns from paternity leave in the coming days. De Los Santos had been recalled from the training site upon McClain’s placement on leave.