Phillies pitching prospect Griff McGarry won’t start season on time; Yunior Marté sent down
McGarry is dealing with tightness in his side, which is not expected to linger. The Phillies also recalled reliever McKinley Moore from triple A.
Griff McGarry has joined Andrew Painter in the club of injured Phillies pitching prospects.
McGarry won’t begin the minor league season on time because of tightness in his side, farm director Preston Mattingly said when reached Tuesday via text message. Mattingly characterized the injury as “mild” and said the Phillies don’t expect it to linger.
”He’s a little behind on his build-up,” Mattingly said. “He’ll be back soon.”
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McGarry’s injury is the latest hit to the Phillies’ pitching depth, which is being stretched like a rubber band around a copy of War and Peace.
It began with Painter, the team’s top prospect, spraining an elbow ligament at the beginning of March. Since then, No. 3 starter Ranger Suárez (elbow) and depth options Cristopher Sánchez (triceps) and Nick Nelson (hamstring) have also gone down.
Left-hander Matt Strahm, signed as a reliever, started the fifth game of the season Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, with a 65-pitch limit, according to manager Rob Thomson.
Desperate for a fresh arm, the Phillies recalled reliever McKinley Moore from triple A and optioned ineffective reliever Yunior Marté, who allowed six runs and two homers in two appearances. The Phillies acquired Moore from the White Sox last year for erstwhile outfield prospect Adam Haseley. Like Marté, Moore had a stellar spring training.
To open a 40-man roster spot for Moore, the Phillies designated outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz for assignment. Ortiz’s development has stalled in triple A after signing out of the Dominican Republic for a club-record $4 million in 2015.
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The Phillies have dropped their first four games by a combined margin of 37-12 — 37-7 after seizing a 5-0 lead against Jacob deGrom on opening day in Texas. They are 0-4 for the ninth time in their 141-year history and the first time since 2016. They’re also the first reigning pennant ééwinner to start 0-4 since the 1984 Orioles, who finished 85-77 and missed the playoffs.
Pitching is at the root of the problem. The Phillies have allowed more runs than any team in baseball. By comparison, the 2016 and 2006 Phillies teams gave up 27 and 26 runs, respectively, en route to 0-4 starts.
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McGarry, 23, is a hard-throwing right-hander and the team’s No. 3 prospect, according to Baseball America. He entered spring training with a chance to win a roster spot but struggled with his command and gave up a grand slam in a Grapefruit League appearance against the Red Sox on March 2 in Fort Myers, Fla.
In 27 games (19 starts) last season between three minor league levels, McGarry posted a 3.71 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 87⅓ innings. It was expected that he would open the season at triple-A Lehigh Valley.