Minor League Games - June 5th, 2025

[Squire]

AAA: Lehigh Valley (RHP Gabe Mosser) at Charlotte - 7:04PM
AA: Reading (RHP Mitch Neunborn) at Harrisburg - 6:30PM
High A: Jersey Shore (RHP Estibenzon Jimenez) at Bowling Green - 7:35PM
Low A: Bradenton at Clearwater (TBD) - 4:00PM
Low A: Bradenton at Clearwater (TBD) - Game 2
FCL: FCL Tigers at FCL Phillies (TBD) - 12 Noon
DSL: DSL Phillies Red (RHP Jesus Montiel) at DSL Rangers Blue - 11:00AM
DSL: DSL Blue Jays Blue (TBD) at DSL Phillies White (RHP Gustavo De La Cruz) - 11:00AM

Rolling Scores Here - https://www.milb.com/scores/2025-06-05/all/all/phillies

Rolling Boxes Here - https://www.mlb.com/prospects/stats/affiliates?teamId=143&date=06/05/2025

[andyb]

Carlos De La Cruz has hit walk off homers the last 2 games. Against Reading unfortunately. Only a 710 OPS repeating AA so probably not a mistake moving on from him.

https://www.mlb.com/news/nationals-carlos-de-la-cruz-hits-identical-walk-off-homers-at-double-a

[Squire]

Carter Mathison, Modern Day Dave Kingman

[phillychuck]

So in Lehigh Valley Justin Crawford went 3/3 with a double, stolen base, and 3 RBI and was then pulled in the fifth inning. Three options 1. rest (the game was out of hand for the Pigs), 2. injury/illness (Crawford looked ok) , and 3. promotion imminent.

I didn’t see anything about promotion, but it’s the preferable option to me. An effective Crawford in Philly fixes the leadoff problem and allows one of Marsh or Kepler to sit.

[Squire]

Apparently Dombrowski was at the game FWIW. Does Stott still have options? I'm ready for Otto Kemp to get some ABs in Philly.

[zambonir]

I didn’t see anything about promotion, but it’s the preferable option to me. An effective Crawford in Philly fixes the leadoff problem and allows one of Marsh or Kepler to sit.

But it's not that simple is it? You'd have to option Marsh or Rojas (the only RH CF) or DFA Kepler. Or make a trade of course.

[phillychuck]

Other sources say he was pulled as a precaution for tightness in his quad. You could always option Wilson, but he has the lowest ERA on the staff.

[zambonir]

Kemp for Wilson is the move that actually makes sense except Kemp's not a LF either, and would just get buried on the bench. I don't think anyone's coming before the All-Star break.

[andyb]

Marsh is really the guy you move if you think Crawford is ready, though he is not playing poorly enough to send him to the minors. And you probably don't move on from Kepler yet. I could see them doing that after the All Star break if he does not improve but not yet.

Quad tightness seems the answer for why he came out of the game last night. And of course that would set back any promotion a few weeks anyway.

[zambonir]

Yeah I still don't think it's clear that either of these guys would actually be better, though they might provide of burst of energy and first-time-through production (much like Rojas). And Marsh can still go back to LF platoon next year if Crawford is the CF (or RF platoon for that matter).

No reason to shake things up right now, though it's been an unfortunate stretch of injuries. If Kemp's bat makes it truly impossible to keep him off the MLB roster then I guess live with him in LF. Or let Schwarber play there. Kepler isn't even out-hitting Casty against RHP currently.