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Aaron Altherr

Phillies Notes: Herrera, Eflin, Rotation

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Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told reporters after last night’s game that Aaron Altherr will eventually move into center field this year, prompting CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury to explore the possibility of an offseason trade of Odubel Herrera. While Herrera was one of the Phillies’ best players in the season’s first half, he’s hitting just .235/.289/.394 since July 1, and his glovework has taken a step back this season (hence the decision to look at Altherr in center field). Moreover, Salisbury writes that Mackanin has been frustrated recently by some decline in Herrera’s early-season plate discipline and a lack of focus. Philadelphia has outfield alternatives, Salisbury notes, listing both Roman Quinn and Nick Williams, and the team did show it was willing to trade controllable assets last winter by moving Ken Giles.

More on the Phillies…

  • Philadelphia placed rookie right-hander Zach Eflin on the disabled list yesterday due to patellar tendinopathy in both of his knees, per a club announcement. The Phillies aren’t sure if Eflin will pitch again in 2016, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki writes. Eflin said he’s had issues with his knees throughout his entire career but this season has been the worst in terms of discomfort. Eflin, who will meet with specialists in Philadelphia before the team determines his next course of action, said the condition has always been “tolerable” and “maintainable.” The 22-year-old tossed a complete game shutout against the Pirates back on July 22 to lower his ERA to 3.40, but he’s been torched for 20 runs in 13 innings since that time.
  • With Eflin joining Aaron Nola and veteran Charlie Morton on the disabled list and the Phils watching the workloads of young arms like Jake Thompson and Vince Velasquez, the club could turn to left-hander Adam Morgan and right-hander David Buchanan for starts down the stretch. Matt Gelb of the Philly Inquirer writes that prospect Ben Lively could get a look as well despite not being on the 40-man roster, as he’ll need to be added this winter anyhow to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Salisbury tweets a reminder that suspended right-hander Alec Asher can be reinstated on Sept. 15 and could provide the Phillies with a much-needed fresh arm in the final weeks of the season. Former Rangers right-hander Phil Klein, who was claimed off waivers earlier this season, represents another 40-man option for the Phillies to make some spot starts through the end of the year, as can be seen on the club’s depth chart.

NL Rumors: Puig, Altherr, Bourjos, Conforto, Wheeler, Jay, Cashner

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The Dodgers are open to replacing Yasiel Puig at the deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. That could well mean trading him to facilitate a deal, and it seems Los Angeles is at least weighing the possibility of such a move. As Rosenthal notes, it’s hardly certain that the Dodgers will make a move in the corner outfield, let alone that they’ll part with two more years of control over the talented 25-year-old to do it. That’s likely all the more true given that Puig is finally showing signs of life at the plate.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr is nearing a major league return, and MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki says that an active roster spot could be cleared via trade. Peter Bourjos seems the most obvious candidate to be moved; indeed, the free agent-to-be cracked MLBTR’s most recent list of the top 25 trade candidates. Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin says the club is eager to get a look at Altherr, who has been out all year after undergoing wrist surgery this spring.
  • With Yoenis Cespedes asking to move out of full-time center field duties, the Mets are considering whether Michael Conforto can handle the position, ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. Manager Terry Collins said he was on board with moving Cespedes to the less-demanding, more familiar spot in left. The question is whether Conforto is up to the task given his lack of experience there. It seems, though, that he’ll receive a bit of a trial by fire at the major league level, potentially splitting time with Juan Lagares up the middle.
  • The Mets have received some promising news on righty Zack Wheeler, with Marc Carig of Newsday reporting that he’s been throwing bullpen sessions of late. That could set Wheeler up for a rehab assignment in relatively short order. New York won’t have much of a chance to assess his progress before the trade deadline, but can at least rest easy knowing that the talented righty is again making forward progress in his return from Tommy John surgery.
  • Padres outfielder Jon Jay tells Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) that he anticipates returning to the majors within a “couple” of weeks. Of course, that almost certainly means he won’t be able to make it back in advance of the trade deadline, which was always the expectation when he went down with a fractured forearm. Jay could be moved in August, particularly if San Diego is able to get him through waivers early in the month — thus opening the possibility of getting a solid offer once he has returned to full health. Such a waiver placement could be risky, though, because the club might be forced to let him go, take a meager trade return if he is claimed, or pull him back while losing the chance to deal him later in the month. With just over $6MM in annual salary, Jay isn’t a terribly expensive piece for a team in need of outfield help, so it’s not inconceivable at all that a contender would roll the dice on a claim even before he’s at full health.
  • Meanwhile, the Padres are drawing stronger interest in Andrew Cashner than his spotty recent track record might suggest, Rosenthal reports in the above-linked piece. The righty did just throw a gem, and still carries a tantalizing arm, so perhaps it isn’t surprising to hear that multiple organizations are interested in a chance at harnessing the evident talent.

NL East Notes: Baker, Matz, Paredes, Altherr

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Nationals manager Dusty Baker is known as a motivator more than as an in-game tactician, but James Wagner of the Washington Post suggests that the veteran skipper may be under-sold in the game management department. Numerous players say that they are believers in the way that Baker has operated, and he has managed to coax plenty of quality innings from his rotation while making situational use of his pen. Baker also chatted with MLB.com’s Bill Ladson about his first six weeks at the helm of the division-leading Nats. He says he’s pleased with the construction of the ballclub and intends to remain steady with the approach that has worked for the team out of the gates. Baker praised GM Mike Rizzo for his work and said their relationship has been very positive thus far.

More from the NL East…

  • The Mets are relieved to have received good news on the elbow of left-hander Steven Matz, reports Newsday’s Marc Carig (via Twitter). Per Carig, tests on Matz’s elbow revealed that he does not have any ligament damage or any form of serious injury in his pitching elbow. The 24-year-old missed his most recent start due to some soreness in the elbow, but it sounds for now as if Matz has avoided a prolonged absence from the active roster. The Mets will make a more formal announcement on Matz’s health tomorrow, Carig notes. Matz has a 2.86 ERA through his first 34 2/3 innings of the season.
  • The Phillies placed a claim on infielder Jimmy Paredes, who was claimed by the Blue Jays earlier today, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). However, the Jays had an earlier crack at Paredes due to the league-specific nature of outright waivers at this juncture of the season, though Kubatko points out that even if the order were based on record, the Jays would’ve had priority over Philadelphia due to the Phillies’ surprisingly strong start. The Phillies hired former Orioles special assistant Ned Rice as an assistant general manager the offseason, so it’s perhaps not surprising that Philadelphia would have interest in the now-former Orioles infielder/designated hitter.
  • Meanwhile, the Phillies got some positive news on outfielder Aaron Altherr, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Altherr is two weeks away from picking up a bat, meaning he’s progressing as hoped, though Gelb says he could still land at the longer end of the four-to-six month timeline he was given for a full return. Philadelphia obviously still can’t count on much from the 25-year-old in the current season. With a surprising run out of the gates coming in spite of dreadful production from the corner outfield, it will be interesting to see whether the team is able to do anything to boost its lineup even while staying committed to a rebuilding effort.

Phillies Seeking Corner Outfielder In Wake Of Altherr Injury

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The Phillies are “definitely” looking for some help in right field after learning that projected starter Aaron Altherr will be out for four to six months due to a left wrist injury that required surgery, ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported on Buster Olney’s daily podcast (audio link, with Phillies talk starting up around the 9:00 mark). Stark follows up with a series of tweets, explaining that the Phillies are most open to adding a one-year rental — possibly one that can be acquired primarily by taking on salary — that can perhaps be flipped this coming July (links to Stark on Twitter). Marlon Byrd, he adds, is “not a fit for where they are right now.”

There’s no shortage of names that could fit that bill, but some highly speculative options that are slated to hit the open market following the 2016 season include Michael Saunders (who was already nearly traded once), Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Angel Pagan, Carlos Beltran, Jon Jay, Coco Crisp and Sam Fuld. The Mets’ Alejandro De Aza, too, could be a fit, if New York does indeed explore fits for him late in Spring Training, as has been rumored. (De Aza, of course, would need to approve the trade after having only signed with the Mets this winter.) Jay Bruce, in some ways, fits that bill, though he has a club option for 2017, and the Reds, presumably, would want more than pure salary relief in exchange for their former star. Among the notable free agent names left on the market are David DeJesus and Alex Rios.

Of course, plenty of other veteran names could become available late in camp as players are outrighted or opt out of their minor league deals, but Stark added on the podcast that the Phillies, seemingly, are eyeing someone who can bring a bit more to the table than a late-spring release or outright candidate.

As it stands, the Phillies have Odubel Herrera lined up in center field with Peter Bourjos, Cody Asche and Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel as candidates for the corner spots. Asche, though, has been slowed by an oblique injury this spring and could be delayed in making his season debut. Veteran outfielder David Lough is also in camp on a minor league contract, and injuries to Altherr and Asche could enhance his chances of making the club as well, if no outfield acquisition comes to fruition.

Aaron Altherr Out Four To Six Months Due To Wrist Surgery

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The rebuilding Phillies suffered a significant loss today, announcing that oufielder Aaron Altherr requires wrist surgery and will be sidelined for four to six months. Altherr’s surgery will repair a torn extensor carpi ulnaris retinaculum in his left wrist and will be performed tomorrow by Dr. Randall Culp. Altherr reportedly suffered the injury making a diving play back on March 4, though his initial belief was that this injury wasn’t as serious as a previous wrist injury that required surgery in 2013.

The 25-year-old Altherr figured to receive everyday at-bats (or close to it) in Philadelphia on the heels of a solid rookie campaign in which he batted .241/.338/.489 in 161 trips to the plate. Altherr racked up 11 doubles, four triples and five homers in addition to six steals in his brief time with the Phils, flashing the extra-base power and speed that made him one of the organization’s more intriguing prospects. Between that success and the .293/.367/.487 batting line authored by Altherr between Double-A and Triple-A last year, the German-born outfielder had little to prove in the minor leagues.

With Altherr now spending the bulk, if not the entirety of the season on the disabled list, the door is open for Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel to make the club and carve out a role with the team. The Phillies also have sophomore Odubel Herrera (a Rule 5 pick himself a year ago) in the mix after his own strong rookie season. Veteran Peter Bourjos and former top prospect Cody Asche are both options for manager Pete Mackanin, too, though each will need to rebuild his stock after a poor showing in 2015.

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