With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 on Sept. 1, the Philadelphia Phillies called up a pair of players Thursday.
Catcher Donny Sands and RHP Vinny Nittoli have been promoted, the team announced Thursday afternoon. The Phillies already had 13 pitchers on their 26-man roster, and the maximum you are allowed to have with 28 is 14 pitchers, so only one of the two call-ups could be another arm.
Sands, 26, was an eighth-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2015. This will be his first promotion to the majors, after he slashed .309/.413/.428 with five home runs, 34 RBIs, 38 walks and an .