Minor League Games - July 6th, 2022

[Squire]

AAA: Rochester at Lehigh Valley (LHP Kent Emanuel) - 7:05PM
AA: Reading (RHP Griff McGarry) at Richmond - 6:35PM
High A: Hudson Valley at Jersey Shore (LHP Rafael Marcano) - 11:05AM
Low A: Clearwater (RHP Eiberson Castellano) at Dunedin - 6:30PM
FCL: OFF
DSL: OFF
DSL: OFF

Rolling Scores Here - https://www.milb.com/scores/philadelphia-phillies/2022-07-06

Rolling Boxes Here - https://www.mlb.com/prospects/stats/affiliates?teamId=143&date=07/06/2022

[andyb]

Carlos De La Cruz is tall. Check out the picture.

De La Cruz essentially walked home on the double steal, but for reference Keith Werman is listed at 5'7" pic.twitter.com/F1GYk2IC8O

— Matt Winkelman ( @Matt_Winkelman ) July 6, 2022

[Taudawg]

O’Hoppe up to #91 in latest mlb.com rankings. Mostly due to others graduating, but hey…

[phillychuck]

I hope O'Hoppe is just getting well again. He's been non-Covid sick for a while.

[andyb]

Marchan back at the lineup. Only DH but major sigh of relief.

And PC, ask and ye shall receive. O'Hoppe back at DH tonight also. Lineup starts Rojas, Muzziotti, Ortiz, O'Hoppe. And Griff pitching.

Tonight's 9️⃣ at The Diamond!

Join us at 6:35pm on https://t.co/D9FIjegjf3 pic.twitter.com/DkqwAXayyc

— Reading Fightin Phils ( @ReadingFightins ) July 6, 2022

[zambonir]

I was starting to think we might see Donny Sands in Toronto

[andyb]

Frankly he has probably played better than Marchan, especially since Marchan missed some games this week. I am sure we will see one of them. Just not sure which. Probably small chance of seeing both also. Is there an over/under prop bet on the number of players that will have to skip the series yet?

[zambonir]

Well, Gelb said it was going to be a new high and previous high was 4 so do you set the O/U at 6? I'm no bookie.

Also, just my personal bias but if we're really missing a catcher I gotta think it's our starter and not the nice little Jewish boy.

[schooldoc]

Things going swimmingly in Richmond. McGarry left in the 3rd inning after an "injury delay," the reliever subsequently gave up a grand slam, and the Fightins are in the process of being no-hit through 6.

[fish]

McGarry left in the 3rd inning after an "injury delay,"

The inning before they had him throw like 6 straight curves, the last 2 bouncing really wide and outside- but the rest of his stuff still looked good until the 3rd when he nearly hit a guy in the head with a curve then fastball. It is raining and he was laboring a bit- I thought/hoped blister but he never gave a clue at what could be physically bothering him.

Edit- Mitch Rupert noticed the trainer check his hand like it was a blister.

[Taudawg]

If 2022 continues for Scott Kingery on the current trajectory, do the Phillies release him this off-season?

[fish]

do the Phillies release him this off-season?

I think that would be doing him a favor- let him try to join an org that knows how to develop hitters and see if they can rescue his career.

[zambonir]

It would be but there's no real reason to do it. You still have a guy who can be moved through waivers indefinitely in an emergency. Or included in a blockbuster trade, like when we took Matt Harrison's salary from the Rangers in the Hamels deal.

Not saying he'll turn it around but the first year back after injuries and surgery can often be rough, and he didn't even have a proper spring training this year. Of course it's also possible he will physically never be the same, between COVID and multiple injuries, and adjustment/development isn't the issue.

[andyb]

Here is video of the final AB for McGarry. Almost hit the batter twice. Once with a curve but the second time with an inside fastball high and tight that got away. Conference on the mound did look at his fingers.

Does not look serious but maybe you think of pausing him for 10 days so the blister can heal and figure out what analytic spin-inducing grip might have caused it.

Griff McGarry was lifted in the third inning after totally losing the strike zone. Nearly emptied the benches after losing two up and in. Looks like he was dealing with a blister issue because the trainer checked his hand before he was lifted pic.twitter.com/aYQ0D7ZM2T

— Mitch Rupert ( @Mitch_Rupert ) July 6, 2022

[zambonir]

Yeah I don't think Salisbury's speculation that McGarry could come all the way up for a spot start is worth much (and probably wasn't anyway).

[andyb]

McGarry is an interesting case in that he is physically developed well enough for the upper minors and also has the arsenal of a starter with 4 pitches. But he also has significant control and command issues and needs to refine a couple of his secondary pitches.

So while he is the type that one could bring up early and he could survive on his fastball, he also probably needs more innings to work on things than most pitchers at his level. He does not need the innings to build up endurance and learn pitches. For him it is all about command and refinement. Bringing him up for a spot start seems unnecessary before you even get to 40-man and service time issues. Finish this year in Reading and a good couple of months next season in LHV is probably the quickest timeline we should expect.

[zambonir]

Well, this was specific to the Toronto series, for which a 40-man spot wouldn't be required and he'd essentially be the first guy in a bullpen game. I think Salisbury was merely making a bit too much out of the fact that he and Emanuel would be on turn (but surely Emanuel gets the call).

[andyb]

Emanuel's first rehab start was 6/9 so his 30 days are up tomorrow anyway. He'll need to go on the 40 regardless this week. Sherriff got paused by COVID so might be a week behind that timetable along with Romero.

[zambonir]

Q&A with Preston Mattingly on Phillies prospects at season's midpoint

Still kind of weird that O'Hoppe didn't have COVID even if he never tested positive for it, but Mattingly says he was "really sick" and if that's the case he surely would have. Must have been some other, possibly non-viral condition entirely (or perhaps a norovirus type thing).

He was really sick. I mean, like, really sick. We didn’t want to rush him back to where he’s trying to catch and he’s down some weight. His strength was down. We just want to let him get back to where he’s full strength and not rushing back behind the plate. (O’Hoppe returned to Reading’s lineup Wednesday.)