Fan-favorite reliever JD Hammer has been added to the Phillies’ player pool
As the Philadelphia Phillies continue to take a close look at their underperforming bullpen, the organization made a noticeable addition to its pool of available relievers ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles.
Right-handed reliever JD Hammer has been added to the team’s player pool, according to the official league transactions page. Hammer will report to Lehigh Valley, the team’s alternate training site for the 2020 season.
It is not clear what corresponding move was made to allow Hammer to join the team’s 60-man pool. Hammer had not yet been among those in the pool until now, since the restart of the 2020 Major League Baseball season.
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The Phillies acquired the now-26-year-old from the Colorado Rockies in July 2017, along with two other minor-league prospects, in exchange for veteran reliever Pat Neshek. Hammer pitched a scoreless debut with the Phillies in May of last season, home against the Milwaukee Brewers. Overall, the right-hander went 1-0 with a 3.79 ERA, 1.421 WHIP, and 13-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio spanning 20 appearances and 19 innings.
👏🏽 Phillies pitchers Vince Velasquez and JD Hammer visiting kids at Nemours-Alfred I Dupont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) June 27, 2019
@6abc @vjvelasquezrhp @phillies @NemoursCHDS #Phillies pic.twitter.com/s5LB2bcHRz
The Colorado native was optioned down to Triple-A last July as the corresponding move to the general manager Matt Klentak acquiring right-handed reliever Mike Morin from Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations.; Hammer never returned in 2019.
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The Phillies designated Hammer for assignment this past February as the corresponding move to them claiming fellow right-handed reliever Deolis Guerra — who has a 10.80 ERA with the Phillies this season. After clearing waivers, Hammer was sent outright to Lehigh Valley; he was invited to spring training earlier this year as a non-roster invitee.
If manager Joe Girardi‘s squad was to add Hammer to their Major League bullpen at some point in the 2020 season, they would have to add him to both their 40-man and 28-man (formerly 25-man) rosters.