Last night Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus' fastball connected with Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton's bat. While that alone may not be too shameful or enough to warrant a demotion to the minor leagues, but the Phillies found themselves with a tired bullpen and with Mike Adams set to be activated as soon as Monday. De Fratus was the one moved to make room.
De Fratus took to Twitter to be gracious toward fans, and promised to rebound:
Thank you to the fans that continue to show me love. You guys deserve better out of me and I will do everything I can to make that happen.
— Justin De Fratus (@JustinDeFratus) April 13, 2014
It is refreshing to see an athlete take responsibility.
Luis Garcia will take De Fratus' spot on the active roster, though he may not be around for long. Reliever Mike Adams threw an inning for Lehigh Valley last night, and may be activated as soon as Monday. Garcia was a rested arm on the 40-man roster and can be easily spun back to AAA after today's game.