By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
In an effort to bolster their bench options with the second half of the 2019 season underway, the Philadelphia Phillies inked a minor-league pact on Saturday with nine-year MLB veteran 1B/OF Logan Morrison, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.
Morrison, 31, will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley; he requested his release from the New York Yankees on July 4, after failing to be promoted to the big-league club despite posting a .999 OPS and 15 home runs over 43 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Phillies' signing comes the same day of their announcement that outfielder Jay Bruce will not start on Saturday due to "mild soreness" in both his Achilles tendons. Scott Kingery will start in left field and Roman Quinn in center. With one of the least productive benches in the game, the Phillies will hope Morrison could provide the same spark Bruce did when he was recently acquired from the Seattle Mariners.
Over 959 career games combined with the Florida/Miami Marlins (2010-13), Mariners (2014-15), Tampa Bay Rays (2016-17) and Minnesota Twins (2018), Morrison slashed .239/.325/.427 with 161 doubles, 21 triples, 137 home runs, 421 RBI, 387 walks and 722 strikeouts.
