PHILADELPHIA – On Friday afternoon the Phillies made adjustments to their 26-man roster.
Placing recently acquired outfielder Austin Hays on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to 8/8), the team decided to take the opportunity with a roster shake-up.
Phillies adjust their bench
By placing Hays on the Injured List, the Phillies needed to call up a replacement. They did so by calling Cal Stevenson, a 27-year-old outfielder who has spent time with the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants.
Stevenson was hitting .307 with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in 91 games. His .907 OPS and 21 doubles were an attractive option for the Phils since he matched a similar player profile to Austin Hays. This move will give Johan Rojas more of an opportunity in the starting lineup once again.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Cal, the Phillies had to remove a player. That player was Darick Hall, the longtime organizational first baseman, who was designated for assignment (DFA). This does not mean that he is no longer on the Phillies, but it means that any team has the chance to claim him. He will be added to another team’s roster if he is claimed.
Darick has spent time with the Phillies in both 2022 and 2023, hitting 10 home runs over the span of 59 games. He can be worth the gamble for a struggling team looking to add some power to their lineup or even their bench.
Pitching moves
After a really nice outing on Friday, the Phillies demoted Kolby Allard back to Triple-A. With Taijaun Walker and Ranger Suarez expected to return to the club during their next homestand, it made sense for Allard to be demoted. This gives Rob Thomson an extra reliever to use this weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kolby made two starts in three appearances for the Phillies after being called up to the Major Leagues. He was used as a follower in the one outing that he did not start. He pitched 13 innings, which resulted in a 3.46 earned run average.
In his place, the Phillies promoted Max Lazar to the main roster. The 25-year-old has never pitched in the big leagues and his first action will be his Major League debut. He will join Tyler Phillips and Michael Mercardo as players to make their big league debut for the team this season.
Lazar has a 1.79 era when combining both his Triple-A and Double-A numbers. He has pitched 40 1/3 innings in 34 games, striking out 53 batters to a 11.8 K/9.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Phillies DFA’d Max Castillo. Max has not pitched in a game for Philadelphia this season.
Photo Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
