Phillies add pitcher Vinny Nittoli and catcher Donny Sands for September roster expansion

The reinforcements have arrived.

In compliance with the Sept. 1 deadline for teams to expand their major league rosters to 28 players, the Phillies made two additions Thursday, selecting newly acquired reliever Vinny Nittoli’s contract and recalling catcher Donny Sands from triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Nittoli and Sands will join the Phillies on Friday in San Francisco, although it’s unclear how long they will stay.

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Unlike previous seasons, when teams could keep as many as 40 players in September, rosters now will be capped at 28, including a maximum of 14 pitchers. But teams can continue to call up and send down players as usual.

The Phillies expect Zack Wheeler and Seranthony Domínguez to return from the injured list next week, at which time they will have to shed two pitchers. They also could swap out a position player for lefty-hitting slugger Darick Hall or versatile Yairo Muñoz, depending on their needs later in the month. Because Hall and Muñoz were optioned to triple A within the last 10 days, neither was eligible to return Thursday.

For now, then, the choices are Nittoli and Sands to provide bullpen depth and a third catcher, respectively, as the Phillies open a three-game series against Gabe Kapler’s Giants.

Nittoli, a 31-year-old right-hander, was acquired Wednesday from the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league catcher Karl Ellison. He had a 3.30 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 46⅓ innings in triple A with the Blue Jays and New York Yankees. The Phillies were intrigued by Nittoli’s slider and deceptive delivery.

“I always look at pitching depth, as you never have enough of it,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said this week. “Because you never know what’s around the next corner. And we still have 30-plus games left. We feel comfortable using some of the guys [in the minors], by all means, but if we can get better, that’s why we go ahead and make a trade like this.”

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Sands, 26, came over with reliever Nick Nelson in an offseason trade with the Yankees. He had a solid year at Lehigh Valley, batting .308/.413/.428 with five homers.

Having a third catcher would enable interim manager Rob Thomson to more aggressively deploy Garrett Stubbs off the bench. Stubbs could be used as a pinch-runner and has the versatility to play other positions, including second base and left field.

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Wheeler, who has missed two starts because of what the team has characterized as forearm tendinitis, is scheduled to throw off a bullpen mound over the weekend in hopes of starting Tuesday night at home against the Miami Marlins. ... Kyle Gibson (9-5, 4.08 ERA) will start Friday night against Giants right-hander Alex Cobb (4-6, 3.81).