Photo: Philliedelphia/Andrew Gillen
After just a few games back at Triple A, Darin Ruf has been recalled to the major league club to replace Cliff Lee on the Phillies roster. Lee had an MRI done on his left arm on Monday that revealed a mild strain. He will be out for at least 15 days, but that departure may be even longer depending on the progress Lee makes.
As for Ruf, he will be making his first appearance with the big league club in 2014. Darin was hitting about .261 between Clearwater and Lehigh Valley, with 12 hits in 46 total at bats. He also collected four walks to put his OBP just over .300 in 12 games.
The one question that remains: When, and where, will he play? With the recent trend of a rotating center field, perhaps Marlon Byrd makes the move there, placing Ruf in right field for the time being. However, that would compromise Ben Revere's playing time, and could mean the loss of a roster spot for he or John Mayberry Jr. There is also not a spot on the infield, as Ryan Howard is playing well enough to continue to play everyday. As of now, there seems to be a clog for Darin Ruf, but it's great to see a helpful bat back on the roster.
Andrew Gillen, Philliedelphia Managing Editor/Gameday Coordinator
