Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor
The Philadelphia Phillies won their series against the Giants with a victory on Sunday, and following the game, the team announced that first baseman Brock Stassi was optioned to Double-A Reading to make room on the roster for Nick Pivetta.
For those that missed it earlier today, Stassi has been optioned to make room for Nick Pivetta. He starts tomorrow night in ATL.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) June 4, 2017
Stassi, 27, will head to Double-A to get more at-bats, Pete Mackanin told reporters on Sunday. In 36 games for the Phillies this season, Stassi hit just .197 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, six RBIs, eight walks and 15 strikeouts. With Daniel Nava returning to the team this weekend, Michael Saunders on the bench and Tommy Joseph performing well, Stassi didn't really have a place on the team and hasn't started a game since mid-May. The reason Stassi wasn't sent to Triple-A is simple. Rhys Hoskins is hitting over .310 for the Ironpigs and Stassi needs at-bats. He wouldn't get them in Lehigh Valley.
With Stassi going to Reading, Nick Pivetta will come up to Philadelphia for his second big league stint this season. He went 0-2 with a 5.12 ERA in four starts earlier in the season for the Phillies and was sent down to Triple-A after his start on May 18 in Texas, where he allowed only one run, but threw 107 pitches in 4.2 innings. Since being sent back down, Pivetta has continued his dominance for the Ironpigs in their rotation, going 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts. His last outing came on May 28, a win against Louisville. Pivetta hurled six-innings of two-run ball, striking out four and walking none. Pivetta did not walk a hitter in either of his two starts during May with Lehigh Valley.