Phillies send Domonic Brown to the minors

With the addition of Hunter Pence to the roster, the Phillies had to make a move to clear up space. That move turned out to be the demotion of Domonic Brown to the minors, which means the Phillies will play the struggling Raul Ibanez every day in left field for the foreseeable future.

While Brown probably isn't happy to be sent to the minors it will be good for him down the road. With Pence in the fold for the next few seasons, right field, the position Brown is most comfortable playing, is locked up. The Phillies plan to play Brown in left field at Lehigh every day and let him get comfortable in the position with the hopes that he takes over in left next season when Ibanez is gone. Brown can also continue to develop at the plate in the minors and hopefully be a solid bat when he is called up again no later than September.

In other Phillies news, Placido Polanco was activated and the team sent Andrew Carpenter to the minors. The lineup is now stacked 1-8 and ready to roll. Can't wait for October.

Domonic Brown is back!

The Domonic Brown era has resumed in Philadelphia. With the placement of Shane Victorino on the disabled list, the Phillies have called up Brown, who has been recovering from a broken hand since spring training. The Phils were apparently hesitant to call up Brown, who hit .341 in Triple A, but with the offense struggling over the last few weeks, he was the only useful piece they could call on. I would expect Brown to spend the rest of the season with the Phils and work his way into one of the starting outfield spots sooner rather than later.

In another roster move, the Phillies called up David Herndon and sent down Scott Mathieson. This move is just a precursor to Joe Blanton eventually being placed on the disabled list and Vance Worley being recalled.

Domonic Brown breaks right hand

Looks like Ben Francisco can now be penciled into the Opening Day lineup for the Phillies. Domonic Brown, who had been battling with Francisco for the starting right field spot, broke his hand in the Phillies Spring Training game against the Pirates on Saturday. After X-rays confirmed that Brown fractured the hook of the hamate bone in his right hand, the Phillies announced that he will probably need surgery and will miss about 3-6 weeks.

While the timetable for Brown's return puts him on track to return no later than April, a broken hand can be a troubling injury for a baseball player. It could take Brown several weeks to get his swing back and there is no telling what will happen to his power. The good news is Francisco, who probably was going to win the job anyway, should do just fine holding down the right field spot until Brown is ready to go.

Shouldn't they give Dom Brown more at bats?

The Phillies have certainly used Domonic Brown sparingly over the last week, giving the rookie only the occasional at bat and rarely letting him pick up a glove. Think they might let the kid get a few more AB's after this moonshot against the Giants?

Brown's homer helped the Phillies crush the Giants 8-2 and push them to a two game lead in the Wild Card. The Braves unfortunately won again so the Phils were unable to gain any ground on the division leaders.
(YouTube clip via Where's Weems)

Phillies activate Victorino, keep Brown (for now)

It appears that an injury to Ross Gload has extended Domonic Brown's stay in the major leagues. With the Phillies activating Shane Victorino from the disabled list today, all indications were that the team was going to send Brown down to the minors so he could play every day. Instead, because of a groin injury to Gload that the team is calling day to day, Brown will remain with the club as Antonio Bastardo is shipped back to Triple A.

Victorino's activation from the DL happened one day earlier than expected due to his drubbing of minor league pitching over the last two days. With Lehigh, Victorino proved he was ready as he went 4 for 6 with a triple and a homer.

As for Dom Brown, I still wouldn't count on the Phillies keeping him around for too much longer. Once Gload is back to full strength, at bats will be few and far between for Brown so he's better off with regular playing time in the minors. As I stated yesterday, Brown won't be gone for long, anyway, as the September 1st roster expansion is right around the corner.

Domonic Brown appears headed back to the minors when Victorino returns

With Shane Victorino likely to return to the Phillies on Friday, someone is going to have to go. While many hope that the Phillies would drop Greg Dobbs from the roster, according to various sources, including Randy Miller and Jayson Stark, rookie Domonic Brown will likely be sent back down to the minors.

Apparently, the Phillies feel that Brown, who has hit .257 with one homer and 10 RBI's in 10 games, would still be better off playing every day, something he wouldn't be able to do in the crowded Phillies outfield. While the idea of Brown playing against righties and Victorino playing against lefties does make some sense, the Phillies feel his development is better served by getting 4 at bats a game in the minors.

While fans will likely be disappointed in Brown's demotion, they can take solace in the fact that he will be called up immediately on September 1st when rosters expand. Should the Phillies get to the postseason, Brown is also a lock to be on the postseason roster as the first lefty pinch hitter off the bench and occasional starting outfielder.

Better get a good look at Brown over the next two games because he won't be back in Philly again for a few weeks. Of course, with the luck the Phillies have had with injuries this season, we could be seeing him a whole lot sooner.

Domonic Brown lives up to the hype in major league debut

Talk about making an instant impact. In his first major league at-bat, just moments after the crowd at Citizens Bank Park gave him a standing ovation, Domonic Brown showed just why he has everyone in Philadelphia excited, rapping a double off the wall and driving in the first run of his career. It was nearly a perfect debut for Brown, who also had a single and had an RBI on a sac fly, as he helped the Phillies beat the D'backs 7-1 and win their 7th straight game.

While Brown will deservedly get most of the hype after his first game, Roy Halladay was the real reason the Phillies won. Doc was as sharp as ever on Wednesday night, going the full 9 innings and striking out 9 batters en route to his 12th win of the season. While the Phillies hitting has turned around and will get most of the credit for the recent hot streak, it's important to note that the pitching staff has given up only 2.1 runs per game during the 7 game win streak. Even the most inept offense can win plenty of games when your pitching is that hot.

Hopefully you got a chance to catch Brown's debut tonight, it was definitely an event that lived up to the hype. While we all run the risk of getting a little too ahead of ourselves with the kid, it's hard not to get excited about a player with his combination of power and athletic ability. I have a feeling we all just witnessed the beginning of something really special.
(AP PHOTO)

Phillies place Victorino on DL, call up Domonic Brown

Never has an injury brought so much excitement to the Philadelphia sports scene. Due to the abdominal strain he suffered in last night's game, Shane Victorino has been placed on the 15 day disabled list. In his place, the Phillies have called up minor league super-prospect Domonic Brown.

With Victorino out, Jayson Werth will move to center and Brown is expected to get the bulk of the playing time in right. While Brown adds yet another lefty bat to an already lefty-heavy team, he has certainly earned his shot at the majors with the way he is ripping up minor league pitching this season.

While it comes at the expense of Victorino, the fans that have been clamoring for Brown to be in the lineup finally get their wish. While he certainly won't be a savior, let's hope the kid is as good as advertised.

Phillies win 6th straight but may lose Victorino

Now this is the Phillies team that we've all been waiting to see! On Tuesday night, the Phillies won their 6th straight game, beating the D'backs 9-5 behind three 2-run homers. With Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Cody Ransom providing the home run fireworks, the Phillies looked a lot like the team that has represented the National League in the World Series the last two years.

Not everything went perfectly for the Phillies on Tuesday night, however, as Shane Victorino suffered an injury that forced him to leave the game. Word after the game was that Victorino strained his left oblique muscle and he will be evaluated tomorrow. While all the initial reports are that the injury isn't serious, an injury like this could linger and could force Victorino to go on the disabled list. Should that happen, Jayson Werth will likely move to center (and won't get traded) and prospect Domonic Brown could get his long-awaited call-up to the majors and play in right. With the way Brown has been tearing up Triple A pitching (.340 AVG, 5 HR, 19 RBI in 27 games), he could provide a huge spark to the Phillies offense. Of course, the Phils could also simply start Ben Francisco in right and call up John Mayberry, a right-handed bat that has some experience in the majors and can platoon with Raul Ibanez in left.

Despite the bad news about Victorino, you can't help but get excited about how well the Phillies are playing. Their 6 game winning streak has pulled them to just 3.5 games behind the Braves and only 2 out in the Wild Card. With Roy Halladay taking the mound tomorrow, the Phillies look poised to continue their run back into contention.