Phillies Place Hays on IL, Designate Hall Among Several Moves

The Phillies appear to have turned the corner, taking a series from the Los Angeles Dodgers and opening a four-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a victory.  As the Phillies look to keep up the momentum, the roster will look different for the time being.  The Phillies were very active on Friday afternoon, making several roster moves.

Here is a rundown of the day's moves:

Outfielder Austin Hays is placed on the 10-day injured list.

Hays suffered a hamstring injury during Wednesday night's finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Though the Phillies did not make a roster move on Thursday, they further evaluated his condition in Arizona.  After Thursday's game, Phillies manager Rob Thomson likened the injury to that of Brandon Marsh earlier this season. Marsh missed about two weeks.

Pitcher Kolby Allard was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Kolby Allard helped the Phillies get going in the series in Arizona, earning the victory with five innings of one-run ball.  So why option Allard?  Well, it could be that Taijuan Walker is getting close to returning.  Walker threw five innings of one-run ball for Double-A Reading in Akron on Wednesday night.  The Phillies could be confident that Walker will make his next start.

Phillies selected the contract of outfielder Cal Stevenson.

The replacement in the outfield will be outfielder Cal Stevenson.  Stevenson came to the Phillies originally through a waiver claim off of the San Francisco Giants.  Less than a week later, the Phillies designated Stevenson for assignment.  He stayed in the organization after clearing waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

After a so-so Triple-A season with the IronPigs the rest of 2023, Stevenson has been pretty good for the Triple-A squad this season.  Stevenson is batting .307 with 21 doubles, five triples and seven home runs.  His OPS is an impressive .908 in 2024.  Stevenson has primarily played center field for the IronPigs.

Phillies designated for assignment first baseman Darick Hall.

The Phillies finally removed Darick Hall from the 40-man roster.  With no clear path to the major leagues, the Phillies felt comfortable moving on.  It's very possible another team will claim Hall on waivers; if he goes unclaimed he could be sent outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he is a fan favorite.

Hall was batting .248 for the IronPigs with 12 home runs in 2024.  Hall spent parts of 2022 and 2023 with the Phillies mostly in the absence of Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins, batting .226 with 10 home runs in the major leagues.  This move opens a 40-man roster spot for Stevenson.

Phillies select the contract of pitcher Max Lazer from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The Phillies signed Max Lazer to a minor league contract in the offseason.  He was assigned to Double-A Reading on May 8th and was briefly there before setting in at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  For the IronPigs, he's been pretty good out of the bullpen. In 34 games (with eight of them coming at Double-A Reading), Lazer is 2-3 with a 1.79 earned run average. He has a combined WHIP of 0.84.

Lazer probably will be with the Phillies for a short while.  The heavier bullpen use the last couple of days will likely mean that the Phillies were in search of a fresh arm.  Lazer can make the case he should stay on the roster when Walker is activated.  Right now Yunior Marte holds that last bullpen spot, but has been inconsistent.

Phillies designate Max Castillo for assignment.

The Phillies claimed Max Castillo on waivers from the Boston Red Sox this past offseason, after the Red Sox claimed him on waivers from the Kansas City Royals.  Castillo has not given the Phillies a whole lot in the minor leagues, going a combined 0-6 with a 7.62 earned run average in 14 games, 13 of them starts, at Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  This move opened up a roster spot for Lazer.