Reactions differ with demotions
Garcia doesn’t miss a beat; Hammer’s stats balloon afterward
J.D. Hammer’s whirlwind season, which started in Double-A Reading and only stopped in Triple A for one outing, was going along well.
The 25-year-old righthander had a respectable 3.38 ERA and .224 opponent’s batting average in his last 14 outings with the Phillies.
Hammer then was sent back to Triple A where he’s been since July 23. Like thousands of players before him, the Colorado native’s heart and mind appear to still be in Philadelphia.
The 2016 24th-round pick of the Rockies had alarming numbers in 11 games since his demotion entering Lehigh Valley’s contest Tuesday against Syracuse: 15.43 ERA, nine walks, three home runs allowed, .341 opponent’s average and 1.119 OPS against in 9 1⁄3 innings.
“For me,” IronPigs pitching coach Steve Schrenk said, “he needs to pitch more for the team. He needs to pitch one pitch at a time.
“He’s getting ahead of himself. He’s trying to put the cart before the horse getting back to [the] big leagues. That doesn’t always work out.
“He needs to get back to the little things. He’ll get back there, but he’s not going to get it all back in one game.”
Edgar Garcia had a respectable 3.86 ERA and .205 opponent’s average in his last 11 games with the Phillies before he was shipped out two days before Hammer.
The 22-year-old has returned to the dominant form he displayed in the minors that earned him the major-league promotion. In his 11 games since being demoted, the righthander had only one blip (four earned runs in two-thirds of an inning Aug. 9 against Charlotte). Nine of his outings were scoreless, and he has 12 strikeouts and only two walks in 10 2⁄3 innings.
Two first-time promotions to the big leagues, two distinct reactions to their first demotions.
“Garcia has been around longer than Hammer,” Schrenk said. “He’s pitched more than Hammer. We’ve had a chance to groom him a little bit more for those situations.
“Hammer and Garcia are two different guys. They handle things two different ways. Garcia is all bulldog. It’s what I love about him.”
Hammer is approaching his career high in innings pitched (57 2⁄3 in 2017). He was at 50 2⁄3 entering Tuesday. The 6foot-3, 215-pounder missed most of last year, pitching just 13 2⁄3 innings because of arm troubles.
With the Phillies expected to fill their 40-man roster come Sept. 1 as they chase a National League playoff berth, Hammer and Garcia figure to be two of the promotions. But Hammer needs to get straightened out in the next 10 days or so to be trusted again at the major-league level.
“When you’re young and
experience some success and then falter a bit,” Schrenk said, “you have to think, ‘What kind of pitcher do I want to become?’ It’s something you have to work on.”
Pitches — and the stress level when they were thrown — are more representative of a pitcher’s workload. Hammer has thrown 876 this year across three levels. Many lately have been thrown in high-stress situations. He’s walked 20 in his last 22 2⁄3 innings (25 games combined with the Phillies and IronPigs).
Hammer’s command issues have come as he’s tried to work up in the strike zone. His slider has been inconsistent and changeup remains a work in progress.
Garcia’s slider, his out pitch, has been better since the Charlotte outing and his command has been consistent this summer. He’s thrown 974 pitches between Triple A and Philadelphia. The four runs he allowed against Charlotte were the most he’s allowed as a reliever in the minors.
“That’s going to happen,” Schrenk said. “He’s thrown well, especially the last four games.”
Rotation update
RHP Jerad Eickhoff was optioned by the Phillies to the IronPigs. The 29-year-old struggled in his return from a right biceps injury. He was 0-2 with an 8.03 ERA, .277 opponent’s average, six walks and two home runs allowed in 12 1⁄3 innings (five rehab outings).
Schrenk said he’s not sure when Eickhoff would pitch for the IronPigs, though it could be as soon as Friday.
Up next
RHP Enyel De Los Santos (5-6, 4.15 ERA) faces Syracuse RHP Drew Gagnon (6-4, 2.15) in a 7:05 p.m. start.