Why the Philadelphia Phillies Need to Put Ross Gload On the DL and Bring Up Matt Rizzotti

With the return of Shane Victorino to the Phillies’ lineup, many people thought Ross Gload might be put on the DL or Michael Martinez would be sent down to Triple-A. It turned out actually that John Mayberry, Jr. was the odd man out, as he was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley due to largely to a .194 batting average over the past month. What that doesn’t negate is that the Phillies should have put Ross Gload on the disabled list and called up 25-year old first baseman Matt Rizzotti from Double-A. Gload is a 35-year old veteran who has been reduced to a singles hitter this year because of a hip tear that he is determined to play through. He can’t play the field or even run the bases. He has said he doesn’t want season-ending surgery but the reality is, he needs it because he is no longer helping the Phillies. With Gload going on the DL, the team should call up Matt Rizzotti, the first baseman from the Reading Phillies who has been pounding the cover off the ball. Rizzotti is hitti...