The 2015 Phillies have been bad. There is no getting around that. Beneath all the bad has been some good though. The emergence of Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera and the Major League debut of 2014 first rounder Aaron Nola have given fans something to be excited about moving forward. As the season winds down through the weeks of September, there are plenty of things to look for this month, including the playing time of guys like Darnell Sweeney, Aaron Altherr and Cody Asche. Also when does Aaron Nola get shut down? Here is 10 things to watch for as we conclude the second week of September:
- The playing time of Darnell Sweeney, Aaron Altherr – With Domonic Brown being evaluated for a concussion, the Phillies have another outfield spot that is technically open. Sure, Jeff Francoeur will get some starts here and there, but don't be surprised at all to see Darnell Sweeney and Aaron Altherr get more starts in right and left with the loss of Brown. Though Domonic wasn't by any means productive, the Phillies kept playing him in hopes of him turning things around. Now that his season is likely over, the team will get a good look at Altherr and Sweeney, who have both shown plenty of extra-base ability in their first big league at bats. Odubel Herrera will be out there every day, but beyond that, the Phillies outfield picture is an unknown. Sweeney, 24, is hitting .250 (6-for-24) since joining the Phillies. He has a double and three home runs, one off of Mets ace, Matt Harvey. Whenever Sweeney hits the ball for an out, it always seems to be a hard liner, so he is definitely adjusting at the plate. Meanwhile, Altherr is only hitting .227 (10-for-44) but most seven of the ten hits he has have gone for extra bases. Four doubles, a triple and two homers to go along with nine runs scored and eight RBI's. The Phils have been trying Sweeney out in the leadoff spot while Altherr has been seen hitting third recently.
- Shutting down Aaron Nola: At 162 1/3 innings on the year so far, the Phillies have Nola's innings limit set between 180 and 185. He's averages approximately six innings per start between his the minors and his time with the Phillies, so with those numbers, Nola could potentially make as many as four more starts. If he goes deeper than six innings, he'll likely have three more this season. The Phillies 2014 first rounder had his worst outing of his short big league career against the Mets this week, allowing six runs in four innings of work. The defense behind him wasn't stellar by any means, but six runs is six runs. His next turn in the rotation will come on September 8th at home against Atlanta. The Phils have mentioned going to a six-man rotation to extend the seasons of guys like Nola, so expect Jerome Williams or perhaps even David Buchanan to take the sixth spot.
- Jeff Francoeur's impact - There's no doubting the effect veteran outfielder Jeff Francoeur has had on the young Phillies team this season. He's hitting .271 with 12 home runs, good for third on the Phils, 14 doubles and 43 RBI's. Francoeur has really excelled as a pinch hitter, hitting .478 (11-for-23) with three doubles, a home run and 11 RBI's. His veteran presence and energy in the clubhouse has created nothing but a positive influence during a fairly dull Phillies season. He was claimed on waivers in August, but the Phillies opted to pull him back. Though teams might look to sign Francoeur to start for them in 2016, don't be shocked if the Phillies make a run at bringing him back.
- Cody Asche's final audition? - Let's be honest. When Maikel Franco was promoted to the big leagues, Cody Asche's time as a focus of the Phillies future was over. Neither Asche's bat nor his defense are anything to rave about either. He's hitting .249 this season with seven home runs and 24 RBI's. Asche hasn't really produced too many runs either, averaging .188 (6-for-32) with two outs and runners in scoring position. With Aaron Altherr on the roster and Darnell Sweeney showing his power at the plate and his versatility to play either corner in the outfield, unless Asche shows the Phillies something soon, he could start the 2016 season in the minor leagues.
- Cesar Hernandez's fall from grace - Everyone was singing Cesar Hernandez's praises when he took over the second base job full time from veteran Chase Utley. Signed as a minor league free agent in 2006, the 25-year-old Hernandez was hitting .302 back on July 6th. Over the next month, his average fell a little, but it was still strong at .279 for a guy who has never consistently started at the big leagues. His month of August has been one to forget. After hitting .324 in June and .278 in July, Hernandez hit just .245 in August in 26 games, striking out 27 times in 110 at-bats and tallying just seven extra-base hits. His job is safe for the time being, but heading into the offseason, he could be fighting for a position in the starting lineup.
- Minor League Playoffs - With all of the prospects acquired by the Phillies in parting ways with their veterans, it is a very exciting time in the minor league system. Lehigh Valley, Lakewood and the GCL Phillies have all been eliminated from playoff contention, but Williamsport, Clearwater and Reading all head to the postseason as favorites to win a title. Double-A Reading has been the most touted team in the Phils farm system, built with prospects that include J.P. Crawford, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams and Zach Eflin. They clinched the EL Eastern Division on Thursday for the first time since 2000 and will host playoff games next week at First Energy Stadium
- Maikel Franco's recovery - After getting hit by a pitch on his wrist on August 11th, Maikel Franco has been sidelined. Philly.com Sports reports that Franco had been taking grounders and playing catch for more than a week with no pain, but unfortunately that didn't roll over into the cages. Franco took 20 pitches of soft toss at Citi Field on Wednesday and he felt the same issues resurface when he swung. The Phillies will likely shut him down for the year if he doesn't improve next week. What looked like a 50-50 chance at his return may be more like 90-10 at this point.
- Ken Giles excelling as the Phillies closer - Since the Phillies dealt Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals, Ken Giles has taken the closer role head on. He tallied his first save of the season on July 28th with a shutout inning against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Since taking over the closer role, Giles has converted all 11 of his save opportunities, sporting an ERA of 1.53 for the season. He's struck out 73 in 58 2/3 innings this year and holds an 11.2 K/9 number. He looks to be at the back end of the bullpen for the foreseeable future as the Phillies move further into the rebuild.
- The Bullpen - Coming in at 20th with a 3.88 ERA this season, the future of the Phillies bullpen is up in the air. Beyond Ken Giles, no role is set in stone due the the recent inconsistency of guys who were thought to be future relief arms in the pen. Justin De Fratus hasn't looked good, Adam Loewen is painful to watch, Luis Garcia and Jeanmar Gomez are hit and miss and guys like Hector Neris won't be on the team next season. As of now, Elvis Araujo seems to have solidified a left-handed role in the bullpen while Dalier Hinojosa could see some more innings come the end of the season. There isn't really too much relief for the Phillies in the minors with relievers, but Jimmy Cordero and Tom Windle could see big league action next season.
- Cameron Rupp unseating Ruiz as the starter? - Everyone knows what Carlos Ruiz has done in the city of Philadelphia. He's caught multiple no-hitters, a World Series championship and has gotten praise from big-name pitchers Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. With one year remaining on his deal and at 36 years old, it isn't likely Chooch retains his starting catcher spot with Cameron Rupp starting to find his grove at the plate and behind it. He has a plus arm that is very accurate to catch base stealers and hit .310 (18-for-58) with two doubles, seven home runs and 17 RBI's in August. Meanwhile, Ruiz is hitting just .219 this season, playing in 15 more games than Rupp. In August, he hit just .195 (8-for-41). With the organization's catching depth on the rise with the likes of Andrew Knapp and the recovering Jorge Alfaro, Ruiz's time in Philadelphia is coming to an end very soon as his role in 2016 could be limited to backup.
