The Philadelphia Phillies announced a series of roster moves on Thursday afternoon, the most notable being the addition of RHP Jeff Hoffman to the active roster. In a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, the Phillies have designated James McArthur for assignment.
You may be saying, “who the hell is Jeff Hoffman?” Hoffman, 30, was signed by the Phillies as a minor league free agent on March 31 and assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He appeared in nine games for IronPigs tallying an 0-2 record with a 7.00 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Hoffman originally opted out of his contract on Monday before the Phillies made the decision to add him to the active roster.
Hoffman, who spent 2021-22 with the Cincinnati Reds, has pitched in 134 Major League games and has a 15-21 record with a 5.84 ERA and 1.585 WHIP. The former 9th overall pick in the 2014 MLB June Amatuer Draft, Hoffman had his best professional season in 2022 going 2-0 with a 3.83 ERA and 1.410 WHIP in 44.2 innings with the Reds.
But hey, he throws hard or something.
Yunior Marte Optioned
In other roster news, to make room for Hoffman on the active roster, the Phillies optioned RHP Yunior Marte to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Marte was recalled by the Phillies on April 23 and made four appearances out of the bullpen during that time. His most recent trip to the Big Leagues was serviceable, making three scoreless appearances before allowing four runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night.
Nick Nelson Activated, Optioned to Double-A Reading
RHP Nick Nelson (hamstring strain) was activated from the 15-day injured list and optioned to Double-A Reading. Nelson, 27, appeared in 47-games for the Phillies in 2022 including two spot starts. He compiled a 3-2 record with a 4.85 ERA and a 1.485 WHIP in 68.2 MLB innings. While nothing special, Nelson was durable in spurts for the Phils’ ‘pen especially when needed in mop up duty. His stay in Reading may be a temporary one.
