Phillies Send Altherr to Minors in a Flurry of Moves

The Phillies transaction page was very busy on Sunday.  Thanks to injury, poor performance, and in dealing with other injuries, the Phillies ended up making several moves over the course of the day.  The most notable was that outfielder Aaron Altherr was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Here is a rundown of the moves:

Edubray Ramos was placed on the 10-day disabled list.  Ramos suffered a strained left patellar tendon during the sixth inning of Sunday's earlier game of the double-header.  Ramos was placed on the disabled list between games.

Taking the spot of Ramos on the roster was reliever Luis Garcia.  Garcia had been on the 10-day disabled list with a right wrist strain. Garcia did not appear in game two.

With the option for a 26th man for the double-header, Yacksel Rios joined the Phillies bullpen for the second game.  Rios did not appear in the game.  However, there is a chance that Rios could stick around, given the postgame announcements.

Altherr and pitcher Mark Leiter, Jr. were optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after the game.  Altherr has lost a good amount of playing time to Nick Williams in recent weeks.  Altherr is hitting just .171 on the season.

Leiter appeared in game one of the doubleheader and allowed three earned runs, giving up six hits and walking none in two innings of work.  Leiter's earned run average now sits at 5.74.  Like Altherr, Leiter was a promising piece for the 2018 Phillies. Both players will have to work out their play at Triple-A.

The demotions leave two roster decisions to be announced tomorrow.

One is obvious.  Pitcher Zach Eflin is listed as the starting pitcher for Monday's opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Eflin missed one start with a blister on his finger prior to the All-Star break.

The second move could be that Rios sticks around to help the bullpen.  The Phillies had an extra position player in Mitch Walding holding the roster spot that once belonged to Eflin.  But Altherr, not Walding is headed to Lehigh Valley.   Rios could replace Leiter in the bullpen.

The Phillies could make other moves, just over a week from the non-waiver trade deadline.  However, the club may just stay in-house for now.