With the passing of baseball legend Tony Gwynn, Tony Gwynn Jr. understandbly had to take a leave from the team to tend to tend to family matters. The Phillies placed Gwynn Jr. on the bereavement list today to allow him to do so. Taking his place on the roster temporarily will be outfielder Aaron Altherr, previously in AA Reading.
The Phillies had few options to fill the internal void. Outfielders on the 40-man roster right now are Altherr, Kelly Dugan, and Zach Collier besides the injured Darin Ruf. With Gwynn's time away likely brief, the Phillies either had to use someone on the 40-man roster or cut someone to make room for an outfielder in AAA such as a Steve Susdorf, who saw playing time last season. Altherr probably would not have gotten a call just yet based on merit.
At AA Reading, Altherr was hitting just .245 with a .293 on base percentage. Altherr hit 11 doubles, one triple, and four home runs at Reading, and amassed 23 RBI. Altherr, known for speed, stole five bases while being caught three times. Altherr also spent seven games at Class A Clearwater, where he hit .250.
Altherr probably will be the last guy off of the bench. The ideal situation for Altherr is to call upon him when they need a pinch-runner. He is unlikely to give the team more than that.
