Bunts and Balks (8/22)

The Phillies placed IF/OF Greg Dobbs on the 15-Day DL, with a strained calf. IF/OF Miguel Cairo was recalled from Lehigh Valley (AAA). Antonio Bastardo was moved from the 15-Day DL, to the 60-Day DL, opening a spot on the 40-Man roster for Cairo. Dobbs was the fourth outfielder in June (1.008 OPS in 40 PA) and July (.739 OPS in 51 PA), but has been relegated to the fifth outfielder role, since the acquisition of Ben Francisco. Dobbs has only had 15 PA in August, and has struggled in the limited role, posting a .564 OPS. (Dobbs has posted an OPS of .891 in his starts, but his mediocre defensive abilities, and the capable, durable players ahead of him, keep him from becoming a regular.) Miguel Cairo? Yikes. He posted a .235 OPS with the Phillies (-38 OPS+!) in 17 PA, before being, mercifully, DFA'd in mid-May. He performed adequately at AAA (.725 OPS/.330 wOBA), and might be a better option than Eric Bruntlett, to cover days off for Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. There was a good chance Cairo would have been recalled in September, when rosters increase. Bako, Bruntlett, and Cairo taking up three active roster spots, before the September expansion, is somewhat frightening. Bastardo's move to the 60-Day DL was merely procedural, as he has already been disabled for more than sixty days. Bastardo is making a minor league rehab appearance on Monday, so he may be seen with the parent club in September. Brett Myers will make his second minor league rehab appearance on Sunday night (5:05pm) for Lakewood (A-). Hopefully, Myers won't play catch with his 4-year-old before the game. The parent club needs him back. IF Carlos Leon was promoted to Lehigh Valley (AAA), to take the spot vacated by Miguel Cairo. The 29-year-old Leon posted a .295 wOBA in Reading (AA), and appears to be more minor league filler, than prospect, at this point. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs scored three runs in the top of the eleventh inning, winning a duel with the Pawtucket Red Sox on Saturday, 3-0. Starter Gustavo Chacin was brilliant, throwing eight scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and two walks (two whiffs). Before you get too excited, however, take a look at the high putridity level of Pawtucket's lineup. Chacin could help an MLB team, as a back-of-the-rotation starter. But his 4.44 FIP in AAA this season probably won't put him in the mix for the Phillies' 2010 rotation. The Reading Phillies (AA) placed INF Brad Harman on the DL, with a left groin strain. The organization is getting a bit low on middle infielders... The Reading Phillies lost to the New Britain Rock Cats on Saturday, 3-2. It was the eighth loss for the R-Phils, in nine games, against the Stone Felines. Starter Mike Stutes had the only R-Phil win against New Britain, but wasn't able to duplicate that effort on Saturday. Stutes permitted three runs, in six and one-third innings (eight hits, two walks/four whiffs). Catcher Kevin Nelson was 4 for 4 on the night, including a solo homer in the ninth inning. Nelson has shown some actual offensive prowess, since his recent demotion from AAA. He might need to swap places again, with current AAA backstop Tuffy Gosewisch. The Reading Phillies activated RHP Tyson Brummett from the DL, and assigned him to Clearwater (A). Brummett has pitched poorly at two levels (AA and AAA) in 2009. The Clearwater Threshers (A) were thrashed by the Dunedin Blue Jays on Saturday, 17-2. The score was 1-0, Dunedin, after five innings. Then, things took a turn for the worse for the Threshers. A nine-run Dunedin sixth put the game away, and the Blue Jays tacked on another five in the ninth. Clearwater starter Jon Velazquez deserved better, as reliever Carlos Monasterios permitted three inherited runners to score. Velazquez' final line: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 9 K(!) Tyson Brummett made his first appearance for the Threshers, called in to pitch the final inning of a 12-2 game. Brummett faced six batters, surrendering three hits and two walks. (He did record a strikeout.) Two of the runners Brummett was responsible for scored after he left the game. Brummett's one out/five run appearance gave him an ERA of 135.00. Brummett has now pitched poorly at three levels in 2009. Maybe he'd have better results in Lakewood?