Phillies Roster Moves as Knapp and Joyce head to Injured List
Philadelphia Phillies catcher Andrew Knapp will enter concussion protocol after taking a foul ball off of his catchers mask in last night’s 5-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. With Knapp heading into concussion protocol, the Phillies called up Rafael Marchan from Triple A and flew him out to San Francisco.
Marchan, is 22 years old and has appeared in eight games for the Phillies over the last two seasons while starting six games. He’s 7-for-21 at the major league level with a double, a home run, and three RBI.
Matt Joyce grounded out on Friday in a pinch-hit appearance. He was then placed on the 10-Day IL with a lower back strain. Replacing Joyce is outfielder Matt Vierling. Viergling had his contract selected after playing just three games at Triple A Lehigh Valley. He hit .345 in 102 plate appearances with Double A Reading and went just 5-for-12 with the IronPigs. The right handed hitter was drafted in the fifth round in 2018 out of Notre Dame.
Since Vierling was added to the 40-man roster, he can no longer be a part of the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Vierling made his MLB debut today with the Phillies in a pinch hit at-bat. He picked up his first big league hit and stolen base, then scored on a Rhys Hoskins RBI double.
Zach Eflin will take the mound tomorrow in the series finale against the Giants.
[…] The Phillies called up outfielder Matt Vierling last week and he should be playing when an everyday starter needs rest. It’s a very small sample size, but in 6 at-bats this year, Vierling is 3-for-6 with a run scored and a stolen base. […]