The Philadelphia Phillies have placed another infielder on the injured list, with Edmundo Sosa going on the 10-day injured list retroactive to September 13 due to a right groin strain. Additionally, Rafael Lantigua has had his contract selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill the open 28-man roster spot. Brewer Hicklen has been designated for assignment to open a spot on the Phillies’ 40-man roster. This comes eight days after the team placed Trea Turner and Alec Bohm on the 10-day injured list. The Phillies traded for Hicklen in the lead-up to the trade deadline to improve outfield depth. Hicklen has yet to appear in a major league game for the Phillies. This has also been the case with pitcher Matt Manning, who was recently designated for assignment.
Phillies Have Another Infielder On Injured List
Lantigua will make his MLB debut when he first appears in a game during his age-27 season. This season in the minor leagues, Lantigua has a .232/.359/.333 line with seven home runs and 56 RBI in 124 games. To add to that, Lantigua has a 92 wRC+ along with a .261 BABIP this year. Lantigua has a 1.10 BB/K rate as well as 17 stolen bases this season. Defensively, Lantigua has appeared at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field this season in Triple-A. Of those positions, Lantigua has the most appearances this season at second base with 78. Six times this season, Lantigua has played shortstop. If Lantigua gets playing time, it will probably be at an infield position. The Phillies middle infield options are not the most ideal at the moment.
The Effect Of This Injury On Shortstop Depth
The Phillies’ shortstop depth is now being tested in ways that it has not been. Bryson Stott has been primarily handling shortstop duties since Turner went on the injured list. Sosa has also been playing there when Stott has not been in the lineup. Now, Stott, Lantigua, and Donovan Walton are the Phillies’ primary options at shortstop. Weston Wilson and Otto Kemp could also play at the position if needed. It remains to be seen what the team will do when Bohm is activated, which is expected to happen later this week, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Bohm does not have major league experience at shortstop. It is possible the team could option Garrett Stubbs to Triple-A when Bohm comes back to preserve shortstop depth for the time being.
Other Options At The Position
It is worth noting that the team has opted not to call up Rodolfo Castro, who has significant league experience at shortstop on multiple occasions now. While Castro is out of minor league options, Walton is as well, so that was probably not a consideration in that decision. Lantigua presumably has minor league options available, but that cannot be confirmed through FanGraphs. Furthermore, Walton and Castro both have major league experience before this season. Castro has a .234/.320/.422 line along with 19 home runs and 81 RBI in 127 minor league games this season. To add, Castro has a 94 wRC+ and a .267 BABIP this year. Castro also has a 0.44 BB/K rate along with 18 stolen bases. This year, Castro has 108 Triple-A appearances at shortstop.
Main Photo Credits: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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