Phillies Send Pitching Depth Piece to Triple-A After Rough Spring

With Taijuan Walker back in camp from the World Baseball Classic, the Phillies optioned starting pitching depth piece Alan Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday morning.

The Phils also reassigned first baseman Keaton Anthony to minor-league camp, reducing their spring training roster to 52.

Nine of those 52 are either:

• Still playing in the WBC (Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brad Keller, Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, Dante Nori)

• Ramping up from injury (Zack Wheeler, Orion Kerkering)

• Or were recently hurt (Max Lazar)

The injuries

Anthony, who's hit over .300 at every minor-league level before going 0-for-16 this spring, is also injured. He broke a bone after fouling a ball off his right foot last week.

Lazar is dealing with an abdominal/oblique issue, manager Rob Thomson told reporters this week.

Kerkering has been rehabbing a hamstring strain all month. Time is running out for him to get into a Grapefruit League game, and there is at least a possibility he is not ready for Opening Day. Even if so, he wouldn't be too far behind.

The news on Wheeler has been the most promising. After throwing five bullpen sessions, he will advance to the live batting practice phase of his rehab.

More on Rangel

The 28-year-old did his job last season in five major-league appearances out of the Phillies' bullpen as a long man, but he did not pitch well at all in camp this year. Rangel allowed at least one run in all four Grapefruit League appearances, three of which were starts.

• Rangel gave up a run to the Nationals on two walks and a hit in his spring debut, needing 27 pitches to complete the inning.

• He allowed three runs on five hits, including a homer, in his second outing at the Tigers.

• He put three more men on base and allowed two runs to the Rays a week later.

• And he started against the Twins this past Sunday, allowing three runs on six hits.

Altogether, Rangel had a 9.39 ERA, 2.22 WHIP and .371 opponents' batting average in a small but extremely hittable sample size.

Rangel will open the season as part of Triple-A Lehigh Valley's starting rotation, along with Jean Cabrera and probably Bryse Wilson, who started for the Phillies on Saturday.

Barring the signing of a veteran arm before camp breaks, that would be the trio the Phillies pluck from if they suffer one or more starting pitching injuries. It's not a deep group or one that has experienced much major-league success, though Wilson did have two decent years in Milwaukee as a long man, and Cabrera is their most major-league-ready starting pitching prospect with Andrew Painter graduating to the majors.

Painter made his third start of spring training on Friday and it was a mixed bag. Walker is set to start on Sunday.