The road for most minor league baseball players to reach MLB is a grind that relies upon taking advantage of opportunities when they're presented. That's one infielder Rafael Lantigua is hoping to take advantage of with the Philadelphia Phillies after they called him up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to replace the injured Edmundo Sosa.
After spending eight years in the minors, Lantigua will finally get a taste of the big leagues in a feel-good story for the division champion Phillies as they look to create separation from the rest of the National League.
Rafael Lantigua promoted as Edmundo Sosa needs a late-season IL stint
The 27-year-old Lantigua was signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent last December after spending his first seven professional seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. His offensive numbers aren't exactly eye-popping, as he's hit .232/.359/.333 across 396 at-bats at Lehigh Valley this season.
However, he's a warm body that can give some infielders rest here and there and he's a versatile defender who's seen action at every infield position besides first base for the IronPigs (he's even logged some reps in left field). Lantigua will become the second Phillies batter to make his MLB debut this season after Otto Kemp's June debut.
As for Sosa, his IL stint is an untimely one for a Phillies team already without their starting shortstop. He was removed from last Friday's game with groin tightness and manager Rob Thomson's initial hope was that he'd be able to avoid the IL and return to the lineup for the Phillies' second game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
Sosa has proven time and time again that he's one of the more reliable utilitymen in all of baseball, and having him banged up before the postseason is less than ideal. Now, the club will have to further rely on unexpected contributors like Lantigua and his Triple-A teammates in Kemp and Weston Wilson to stack up wins as they eye the all-important first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the postseason.