Phillies activate Victorino, demote Mayberry

With the activation of Shane Victorino, for the first time this year, the Phillies lineup will be fully intact. Victorino, who was has been out since May 18th with a strained hamstring, will return to the Phillies lineup on Friday to face the Pirates. To make room for Victorino, the Phillies demoted John Mayberry to the minors.

The return of Victorino means the Phillies offense is going to feature its complete lineup for the first time this season. With Jimmy Rollins likely to continue leading off, Victorino will probably slip into 6th or 7th spot in the lineup and help to solidify the bottom of the order. As long as everyone stays healthy, no longer will the likes of Wilson Valdez and Michael Martinez pollute the Phillies starting lineup.

Speaking of Martinez, I was surprised that he wasn't removed from the roster to make room for Victorino. Mayberry has proven useful as a solid bat and excellent outfielder while Martinez hasn't proven much at all as a pinch runner and utility guy. The only thing that is keeping Martinez on the roster is his Rule 5 status, but is he really worth holding onto for the entire season if he brings very little value to the team?