In 20 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, first baseman Tommy Joseph is hitting .358 (Frank Klose/Philliedelphia)
By: Brandon Apter, contributor 
The 2016 season for the Phillies is one with not a whole lot of expectation besides their young talent development. 29 games into the season, it may be time to consider adding some more youth to the club, especially with guys like Darin Ruf and Emmanuel Burriss stumbling offensively. It doesn't seem like any of the Phillies elite prospects, including J.P. Crawford, Jake Thompson and Nick Williams, are going to get the call just yet, but there are a few guys the team should look at giving a try. Today, we take a look at some call-up candidates for the Phillies.
- Tommy Joseph (1B) - The cornerstone of the Hunter Pence trade from 2012 is off to a hot start in Triple-A. Serving primarily as a DH and first baseman, Joseph is hitting .353 this season, good for second in the International League. He's played 12 games at first base out of the 20 games total, committing two errors. While his defense still needs polishing at first, there's no reason the Phillies shouldn't consider making him the right-handed side of the first base platoon. Darin Ruf has not been productive at all this year, hitting just .149 with 17 strikeouts. Against lefties, he's 3-for-13 and he's hitting .118 (4-for-27) against right-handers. Now, the Phils don't have to part ways with Ruf to call upon Joseph since Darin can play left field on occasion and they have an open spot on the 40-man roster. To make room for him on the 25-man though, they could part ways with Emmanuel Burriss, who is hitting .089.
- Cam Perkins (OF) - With the injuries to Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche, the Phillies outfield has had one true regular in Odubel Herrera. Tyler Goeddel, Cedric Hunter, Peter Bourjos, Darin Ruf and David Lough have all seen time out there, but if the Phillies want to get another young outfield bat in the mix, look no further than Perkins. Selected in the 6th round of the 2012 draft, Perkins' .344 average is good for 3rd in the International League, behind teammate Tommy Joseph. At the age of 25, he's no longer really a prospect, but his hot hitting should be intriguing for the Phillies, who have been sacrificing offense for defense in the outfield. Following a down year that saw him hit .252 in a limited 100 game season due to back issues, Perkins is showing what he can do healthy. Perkins is primarily a corner outfielder, but the Ironpigs have played him in center a few times this season as well.
- Taylor Featherston (IF) - So Emmanuel Burriss is hitting .089 and Featherston, who is on the Phillies 40-man roster, is hitting .317 in 22 games at Triple-A, but has yet to get the call. It is a bit of a head-scratcher as to why the swap hasn't been made yet, but our best guess is because Burriss can play both infield and outfield while Featherston is primarily an infielder. At this point though, that shouldn't really matter. The big league offense is struggling and though many consider 2016 to be a wash, the Phils should make every effort to score runs to support their pitching. That isn't happening, so there's little reason as to why Featherston shouldn't replace Burriss in Philadelphia.
- Alec Asher (RHP) - Acquired as part of the big trade that sent Cole Hamels to Texas, both Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff didn't have extremely high expectations, but added nice depth to the pitching staff. The two started in Triple-A last season and both cracked the big league rotation, but Asher posted a 9.31 ERA in seven starts, putting him in the Double-A rotation to start 2016. After four strong starts to begin the year, Asher was promoted to Lehigh Valley and dazzled in his first outing, hurling 8.2 shutout innings, scattering just two hits while striking out five. If the Phillies do need a starter at any point over the next month or so, Asher could be the guy, especially with Mark Appel, Jake Thompson and Zach Eflin not on the teams' 40-man. If the Phils part ways with a guy like Jeremy Hellickson at the trade deadline, Asher could also get the call at that point if he shows that he can consistently perform in Triple-A. Asher gets the ball for Lehigh Valley on Friday night.
- Severino Gonzalez (RHP) - Cue eye roll here. Severino Gonzalez has made seven major league starts, posting a 7.92 ERA, and an argument can be and should be made that he was rushed. Sure, he was never a highly touted prospect like Thompson, Appel and Eflin are now, but at just 23 years old, there's plenty of time for Gonzalez to put himself in the Phillies future plans. If that is going to happen, it looks like it will be as a reliever. The Phils started Gonzalez in Double-A in the bullpen and he excelled, posting a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings. He was quickly promoted to Triple-A, where he started 16 games in 2015, and has tossed eight scoreless innings. He may not be the first one called upon if the Phillies need a bullpen arm, but if his success as a reliever continues, he could turn out to be an intriguing option as the season progresses.
