Today was the last scheduled spring training game for the minor league camp. The players received their assignments early this morning. The Lehigh Valley and Reading squads bused over to Dunedin while the Clearwater and Lakewood squads played hosts at the Complex. An intrasquad game was held on Schmidt Field among the remaining players for pitchers who needed to get their work in.
Kevin Gowdy got the start in the Lakewood game. He pitched into the fourth inning on a 50-pitch limit. Gowdy threw mainly fastballs and sliders according to the pitch chart. His fastball ranged 89-92 mph. He struck out 3 in his first two innings. He gave up a two-out single in the second on a flare down the right field line. The next batter got the run home with a check swing single that eluded the first baseman down the line to beat the shift.
Gowdy avoided trouble in the third on another ball down the right field line when the batter was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple. He was nailed on a strong relay throw from Jonathan Guzman to Alec Bohm. Gowdy gave up a couple soft line drive singles over the second baseman to start the fourth and was lifted after his 53rd pitch, a bases loading ball.
James McArthur came on in relief and pitched 4-5 innings. I started wandering around the Complex, talking to players family members who would be departing when the players left.
The Lakewood squad got beat pretty handily, collecting only one hit, a single by Guzman. Jake Holmes walked twice in 4 appearances.
I think the Clearwater lost a one run game on the back field. I probably should have paid more attention to this game. Clearwater is the only affiliate that didn’t release their roster. No surprise there. They’re last every year.
Enyel De Los Santos started in the intrasquad game. Ethan Lindow closed out the game.
Four players were released – Pedro Beato, Drew Stankiewicz, Tyler Fallwell, and Randy Alcantara.
There is a game between Clearwater and Lakewood scheduled Saturday at 9:00 AM. It’s getaway day, so the game might be cancelled. If played, it’ll likely only last 5 innings or so.
That’s all for now.
Phuture Phillies 
Did I miss it, was Eshelman released. Not in LV or Reading rosters?
He was NOT released
What happened to him?
He was simply left in XST to pitch and be ready as the 7th starter for LHV at some point.
Players in the XST portion of the Assignments article I posted are being left in XST as depth rather than releasing them, are future Williamsport/GCL roster candidates, or are injured/rehabbing. ILs don’t exist until the minor league season starts on Thursday, so players don’t have to be listed until then. As it is, a player can be left in XST and not put on an IL. Then they won’t have to be paid. Shrewd, eh.
There was a note that Eshelman was assigned to minor league camp a week ago today… if that means anything
There’s always the possibility that Eshelman gets moved for international money. Or at least I think he’s a likely candidate. Doesn’t hold much value with the Phillies organization due to their depth of starting pitching, but may for a club like Baltimore, for example.
Now that Beato was released, who will be the primary closer for the Pigs?
Glad to see Gowdy is well on his way back.
The velo was better than I would have expected at this point.
As he gets further stretched and stronger I would expect it to pick up 2/3 more ticks later in the year.
I wish they would have started him in CLW..with the warmer weather in April down in Florida than in New Jersey…but they know what they are doing.
I wish they would have left him in XST. He’s only thrown 12 innings in 3 seasons. He’s not likely to throw the 100+ innings that Stewart, Jones, Howard, or Parkinson threw in 20+ starts last season. They could have kept a better eye on him at the Complex and brought him up when it got warm.
Agree.
Keeping him there in CLW would seem to be the most sense.
But there is a new sheriff in town and Josh Bonifay may have a different view on player development than Joe Jordan. The Astros have done well so I guess have to give him the benefit of the doubt….he certainly knows the intricacies of the minor league system well…as a player for many years….and every coaching and management aspect of it.