by Michael DeLuca
Outfielder Raul Ibanez of the Philadelphia Phillies, who was putting together a career year at age 37, was 
placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday morning with a strained left groin. The injury has been hampering his play for the past several weeks and worsened during the Toronto series. Ibanez is scheduled for an MRI later today. The team has recalled outfielder John Mayberry Jr. from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Phils GM Ruben Amaro had this to say, “He was not pleased with it, we have to kind of see the forest for the trees here. He stood a chance to really damage the groin if he continues to play on it, and if he does that, he could be out for a very, very long period of time, and it just doesn’t make any sense for us to do that with him.”
John Mayberry Jr. is a 25-year-old right-handed hitter. The Phillies acquired him on November 20 in a trade with the Texas Rangers in exchange for outfielder Greg Golson. He is a two-time first-round Draft pick and was at one point considered one of the biggest prospects in baseball. Prior to this year, Mayberry Jr. spent four seasons in the Minor Leagues, hitting .255 with 82 home runs and 257 RBIs in that time. He performed well in spring training for the Phillies but was sent down so that he could receive every day at bats. In his late May major league debut at Yankee Stadium, he homered. This time around, he will see more playing time, especially with Philadelphia having six games in American League parks over the next week, where teams utilize a designated hitter. A good showing from Mayberry Jr. could peek trade interest from potential trade partners in the Phils’ search for starting pitching.
Recent Comments