Phillies recall Nick Maton, option Yairo Muñoz to triple A
Maton, who was sidelined by a shoulder injury in June, was called up and Muñoz was sent to Lehigh Valley.
After making a flurry of moves before the trade deadline, the Phillies made one more on Friday afternoon: They recalled infielder Nick Maton from triple-A Lehigh Valley and optioned Yairo Muñoz. Muñoz, a utility player, had gotten only 29 at-bats since July 1. With second baseman Jean Segura returning from the 60-day injured list (right index finger fracture) on Thursday, there wasn’t much room for him on the roster.
“We made the move for a couple of reasons,” said interim manager Rob Thomson. “One, with Seggy back, we had three right-handed-hitting middle infielders and one left[-handed]. So [this move] evens us out. And the other thing it does is it gives Muñoz a chance to play a little bit and get his timing down. He’s had a handful of at-bats since the All-Star break.
“And we love Muñoz; he’s got versatility, he brings energy. He can play anywhere on the diamond, including the corner outfield. And he’s hit a couple of big home runs for us. He needs some at-bats, he needs to play a little bit.”
Muñoz was hitting .220/.264/.440 over 50 at-bats with a .720 OPS this season. Maton was activated off the 10-day injured list (right shoulder strain) on July 26. He has hit .261/.368/.436 over 57 games at triple A this season. He had appeared in just two MLB games this year (3-for-6, one homer, four RBIs on June 1 and 3) before being sidelined.
Thomson said that at first the Phillies won’t be starting Segura every day. They’ll play him on Friday, Saturday, and he’ll take Sunday off. The off day on Monday will give him two straight days of rest. Maton, who has played the bulk of his minor league and brief major league career at second base, could fill in for Segura on Sunday.
Phillies honor PA announcer
Before Friday’s game, the Phillies honored their public-address announcer Dan Baker, who is in his 50th season with the team (1972-2019, 2021-present). The team noted that Baker is the third person in baseball history to spend at least 50 years as a PA announcer, joining Bob Sheppard (Yankees, 1951-2007) and Pat Pieper (Cubs, 1916-74). In Baker’s 50 years with the Phillies, he has introduced approximately 20% of all major league players coming to the plate. Baker has been the voice of the Phillies through four World Series appearances along with the two All-Star Games the team has hosted.