3 Phillies pitchers most deserving of a September call-up
With September call-ups right around the corner, here are three Phillies hurlers who deserve a chance with the big club.
The Philadelphia Phillies have some reinforcements coming on Sunday when MLB rosters expand from 26 to 28 players for the final month of the season. Historically, September has been an opportunity for franchises to give top prospects an extended look at MLB action while affording valuable experience to help young players adapt to a future in a big league clubhouse.
Teams who have fallen out of contention will use this opportunity to evaluate important pieces of its future, while a handful of contenders like the Phillies will be looking for important contributions from players during the final stretch run of the season. With the option of calling up a pitcher and a position player for the final month of the season, the Phillies are a team with a couple of clear needs to consider ahead of Sunday's decision.
3 Phillies pitchers most deserving of a September call-up
In recent days, Taijuan Walker has been removed from the starting rotation after the team went 0-9 in his last nine starts. The Phillies have a number of players in Triple-A deserving of a chance to fill that open rotation spot. With José Alvarado currently on the restricted list, it's possible they could also add another bullpen arm on Sunday.
While we wait and see what decisions the front office makes for the final two roster spots, we'll take a look at four pitchers who deserve a look when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
Tyler Phillips
Tyler Phillips had a nice run as a starter for the Phillies when Walker and Spencer Turnbull were sidelined by injuries this summer. It was starting to look like a permanent move before Phillips was hit hard during his last couple of starts. Overall, Phillips is 4-1 with a 5.50 ERA in six starts and one relief appearance for the Phillies this season.
With Walker in the bullpen for the remainder of the season, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com has hinted that Phillips will take Walker's place in the rotation on Tuesday. It's a move that makes a lot of sense, as the 26-year-old New Jersey native did a solid job of keeping the Phillies in most of the games that he started in July and August.
Bringing back Phillips seems like the right move at the right time for the Phillies. With the Atlanta Braves still scratching and clawing their way to stay close in the division, the Phillies can no longer squander winnable ball games by trotting out Walker anymore.
Seth Johnson
Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in a three-player swap that sent underperforming reliever Gregory Soto out of town, 25-year-old starting pitching prospect Seth Johnson was a nice return for a relief pitcher who was talking and pitching his way out of town before the trade deadline.
While Johnson is getting a little old to be considered a true prospect, his minor league numbers point to a pitcher who holds some serious upside. In 22 starts split between Double- and Triple-A for the Orioles and Phillies this season, Johnson is 1-7 with a 2.50 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 22 starts and 82 2/3 innings pitched.
While the win-loss totals look a bit rough, Johnson's solid ERA points to a pitcher who has been on the wrong side of luck this season with low run support and bullpens not getting the job done in relief during his appearances.
Since joining the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies' No. 15 prospect has been superb, posting a sparkling 0.56 ERA and 0.69 WHIP over 16 innings in three starts.
While calling Johnson up on Sept. 1 is not likely, he's an intriguing option as one of the few pitchers in the Phillies system who seems to have a good chance of being a serviceable MLB arm in the near future.
Kolby Allard
The backend of the Phillies rotation has been tinkered with endlessly as the season has progressed. Injuries to Walker and Turnbull have created a revolving door requiring a handful of Triple-A depth options to make a start or two at various points this summer. While some have had more success than others, a few names impressed enough to enter their names into consideration for a longer look when rosters expand.
Kolby Allard is a name to consider when the Phillies add another pitcher on Sunday. In three starts for the Phillies this season, Allard is 2-0 with a 3.50 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 18 innings. Recently optioned to Triple-A, where he has a more pedestrian 2-7 record with a 5.45 ERA, the former No. 1 pick of the Atlanta Braves could be called upon to make another handful of starts during the month of September.
Allard has done more than enough to stick in the rotation; the only problem is that he's not eligible to be recalled again from Triple-A until Sept. 10 (barring an injury to a pitcher on the active roster) after being optioned to the IronPigs on Aug. 26. While he's a good bet to rejoin the Phillies eventually, Allard won't be the name we hear on Sunday, despite being deserving of a September call-up.
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