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The Phillies bullpen just could not take any more of J.C. Ramirez. The team designated Ramirez for assignment for the second time in his Philllies career since being acquired for Cliff Lee in December 2009. Ramirez was 0-1 with a 7.15 ERA.
Ramirez got off to a nice start, no coincidence before teams got to watch him some. Soon, he lost his effectiveness and began to flounder. In his last three appearances, Ramirez allowed eight earned runs.
Miner is no spring chicken; at 31 years old he is on the downturn of his career. Miner spent 2006-2009 in the Major Leauges with the Detroit Tigers. He worked mostly out of the bullpen but made many starts over his career. He is lifetime 25-20 with a 4.24 ERA.
At AAA Lehigh Valley, Miner was 5-9 with a 3.60 ERA. He appeared in 27 games, 12 of them starts. His last two appearances were starts, including Tuesday, when he pitched five innings and allowed no earned runs against the Rochester Red Wings. Since he would not have full rest, he may not be Saturday's starter, currently vacant. Perhaps he could come in for a few innings in another one of the Phillies' beloved bullpen games.
