By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Shortly after the Philadelphia Phillies announced that both Jeanmar Gomez and Michael Saunders were designated for assignment, the team revealed that starter Jerad Eickhoff is heading to the disabled list with a back injury.
#Phillies place RHP Jerad Eickhoff on 10-day DL with an upper back strain.
INF/OF Brock Stassi has been recalled from Lehigh Valley (AAA).
— Phillies (@Phillies) June 20, 2017
Eickhoff, 26, hasn't looked like himself on the mound for the better part of 2017, pitching to an 0-7 record and a 4.81 ERA. After posting a 3.65 ERA in his first full year in the pros, it was assumed that Eickhoff would be one of the more consistent Phillies starters, but that hasn't been the case. In four starts during the month of June, Eickhoff has a 5.03 ERA, striking out 14 and walking 11. His most recent outing showed some progress though, as he tossed six innings of one-run ball against Arizona on June 17.
Taking Eickhoff's place on the roster for now is Brock Stassi. He appeared in 36 games for the Phillies this season, hitting .197 with two doubles, a triple and two home runs. In 11 games between Reading and Lehigh Valley since he was sent down at the beginning of the month, Stassi has slashed .326/.386/.400. The Phillies will need a starter to replace Eickhoff in the rotation on Friday or Saturday, meaning Stassi's stay in Philadelphia is likely going to be short.
Two candidates for the job would be Tom Eshelman and Mark Appel, both at Triple-A. Eshelman, 23, has been dominant since joining the Ironpigs, going 5-1 with a 1.68 ERA in eight starts. Meanwhile, Appel has looked good as of late too. On Monday night, he threw a career-high eight innings, allowing no runs on five hits while walking three and fanning eight. Over his last five starts, he's posted an ERA of 1.74. Appel is on the 40-man roster while Eshelman is not.
The Phils could recall Mark Leiter Jr., but his limited Major League time hasn't yielded great results, posting a 4.74 ERA in 19 innings. He's mostly been used as a reliever, but had a successful start for Lehigh Valley on June 18, tossing six shutout innings with six strikeouts.
