The Phillies are in the bottom four of baseball in runs scored this season with 115, they are in the bottom three in batting average at .227 and home runs with 28. Hoping to find a way to jump start their offense, they will reportedly call-up Tommy Joseph from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Sources say the Phillies have called up Tommy Joseph. He's leading the International League in OPS. They're on pace to score 533 R. Why not?
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) May 13, 2016
With concussions and other various injuries behind him, Joseph has been turning plenty of heads in 27 games with the Ironpigs this season. The 24-year-old former second round pick leads the International League with a .347 average and a .981 on-base plus slugging percentage.
“Over the last few years I've had a lot taken away from me,” Joseph said. “There's no greater feeling than being back on the field again. It’s nice showing up and getting ready to play a game instead of showing up to rehab something.
“I feel like I’ve gotten my career back on track. I was off the track for a while. [CSNPhilly.com]
Joseph's promotion comes just seven months after clearing waivers and being taken off the Phillies 40 man roster and five months after being passed over in the annual Rule-5 draft. Thursday night's game with the Ironpigs was his 500th career minor league game.
The Phillies first base platoon of Ryan Howard and Darin Ruf has not panned out this point. Howard is hitting .176 with eight homers and 37 strikeouts in 115 plate appearances while Ruf's average is at .158 in 63 plate appearances. He's struck out 19 times.
There has not been a corresponding roster move announced yet, but the Phillies did have an open spot on the 40-man roster.
