Starting to look like rookie is on his way
Pitcher Spencer Howard has been stashed in the Allentown reserve bin, but the waiting time is over.
Zach Eflin started Thursday, Vince Velasquez is scheduled to face the Braves Friday and Jake Arrieta is slated for Saturday.
As for Sunday, Joe Girardi has picked an odd way to spell Spencer Howard.
“Right now,” the Phillies’ manager said Thursday, before a game against the New York Yankees, “it’s TBA.”
In an understandable business decision, Howard has been stashed in the Allentown reserve bin early in the re-started season. That delay, which should have been just over a week due to pro-rating of the shortened season, will allow the Phillies keep control over the right-hander for an additional year before he could become a free agent.
But the waiting time is over, and so is the Phillies’ patience. So without saying it out loud Thursday, Girardi dispensed enough signals that the 24-yearold right-hander’s time is near.
“I think that there are a number of different ways that we could use him, whether it’s starting or relieving,” Girardi said. “Obviously, we have a TBA on Sunday. So we’ll just see what happens.”
Though Girardi did accept questions about Howard, he cleverly avoided mentioning him specifically concerning the Sunday assignment.
“There’s a guy,” he said, “who we could use in a lot of different roles.”
In four minor-league stops last year, Howard was 3-1 with a 2.03 ERA.
Might he be guy who could be used in a lot of different roles?
“He is a guy,” Girardi said, in the spirit of the hunt. “Yeah.” •••
Prior to this season, Jean Segura had played in 1,045 majorleague games, but not one inning at third base. Yet six games into this season, mostly at third, the career shortstop had made just one error … and a positive impression.
“I don’t think it’s an easy transition for a shortstop to go to third base, just because the ball gets on them so quick,” Girardi said. “A shortstop going to second base is a little