The Phillies announced they had placed relievers Corey Gag on the 15-day injured list with a right lat load. bullpen buddy Sam Coonrod is back from the 60-day IL to take Knebel’s place on the active roster. To clear a spot on the 40 man for Coonrod, new waiver claim Andrew Vasquez was determined to be assigned.
An IL stay for Knebel looked likely after the veteran left yesterday’s performance due to the lat problem. The team announced last night that he was on his way to an MRI, the results of which are not yet clear. Imaging results will determine how long Knebel stays on the shelves, but he’ll have to sit out for at least the next few weeks. A right sprain cost Knebel more than three months last season with the Dodgers, although it’s currently unknown if his current problem is of a similar severity. The 30-year-old, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract during the offseason, has a decent 3.43 ERA over 44 2/3 innings in a Phils uniform, although that comes with a personal worst strike rate of 21, 1%.
To take Knebel’s bullpen spot, the Phils reinsert Coonrod to make his season debut. The hard-throwing righty was acquired by the Giants in the 2020-21 offseason and played 42 games during his debut campaign in Philadelphia. He posted a 4.04 ERA over 42 1/3 frames and beat batters with a solid 25.9% clip while posting a massive 57.1% groundball percentage. Coupled with a fastball averaging nearly 99 MPH, those peripherals suggested Coonrod could have an opportunity to play a key, high-leverage role in 2022.
Instead, he missed the first four months of the season after straining his throwing shoulder during spring training. The 29-year-old has been in rehab since July 22, including seven assignments at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He is now apparently healthy enough for a return where he will add a strong right-hander for interim manager Rob Thomson.
Vasquez has never played in the major leagues as a Phillie. He demanded waivers from the Blue Jays on deadline day and was immediately voted to Lehigh Valley. He has appeared four times with the IronPigs and allowed two runs (one earned) with three strikeouts and a walk. He also did very well with Toronto’s top affiliate in the early months of the season, allowing just three runs in 11 frames with a 15-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio while introducing grounders on two-thirds of balls batted.
That didn’t carry over into his brief big league look with the Jays, as the 28-year-old served six runs in 6 2/3 frames. The nine MLB appearances this year equates to a career high for Vasquez, who has 13 1/3 of his big league innings in his career despite reaching the majors in four of the last five years. He’s done fairly well in Triple-A for the past two years, but those numbers are intriguing enough that he’s bounced between four organizations over the past 12 months.
It’s possible that Vasquez will change uniforms again soon as he is expected to hit the waiver wire in the next few days. He’s in his final minor-league option year, so any eligible team could put him in Triple-A for the rest of this season (though he’d have to crack the opening-day roster in 2023 or be dropped from the 40-man roster ). . Given Vasquez’s strong showing in the minor leagues, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him end up at another club seeking left bullpen depth.