Phillies Send Starting Third Basemen Maikel Franco To Triple-A Lehigh Valley
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) – The Phillies made a roster move on Sunday sending starting third basemen Maikel Franco to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Franco started the season hot but was hitting just .231 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs (mostly batting eighth in the lineup) in 102 games.
He was once projected as a cornerstone player for the Phillies, appearing in more than 150 games in both 2016 and 2017.
His best season came in 2016 when he hit 25 home runs and had 88 RBIs.
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"This felt like an appropriate time to make a very difficult move for the clubhouse because we all care deeply about Maikel Franco," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. "He's an exceptional teammate and person and we all love him. But we felt like the best roster for the Philadelphia Phillies had Sean Rodriguez on it right now because of his versatility and his ability to play all over the diamond."
Scott Kingery was the starting third basemen for the Phillies on Sunday and will replace Franco.
The Phillies also activated Brad Miller from the 10-day injured list.
(©Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
