Between them, righty-hitting Aaron Altherr and lefty-swinging Nick Williams hit 21 home runs and notched a .789 on-base plus slugging percentage in 685 at-bats last season. The Phillies would have happily taken those numbers from their right fielders again this season.
But Altherr hasn’t done his part.
And so, with the Phillies sporting the second-lowest OPS (.636) from the right-field position in the National League, Altherr was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley late Sunday night. For now, they will carry 13 pitchers and stick with a four-man bench, including rookies Jesmuel Valentin and Mitch Walding.