Outfielder Domonic Brown was supposed to be the Phillies’ starting right fielder, replacing Marlon Byrd who had been traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the off-season. Brown, however, suffered from Achilles tendinitis in mid-March and it forced him to start the regular season on the disabled list. When he was finally ready to come off of the disabled list, the Phillies curiously optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
To Brown’s credit, he took the decision in stride, saying that he could use the time spent facing minor league pitching to rediscover his timing at the plate, as Greg Joyce of Lehigh Valley Live reported.