Phillies Shut Down Top Pitching Prospect

Pitcher Griff McGarry will not pitch against this season for the Philadelphia Phillies organization after the Top 5 prospect was placed on the development list for the second time this season, per MLB.com.

McGarry was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in August and had an awful run with the Iron Pigs, a start contrast to the quality numbers he put up at Double-A Reading before the promotion.

Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski says organization has a play for McGarry, whom they still envision as a starting pitcher.

“Some of it might be the adjustment to the baseball, it’s a little different at Triple-A,” Dombrowski said. “There’s the automated strike zone, which makes a difference. When all that stuff starts to happen, sometimes you speed up your delivery. We still like him a great deal. He’s got good stuff. But he’s going to have to settle in and throw more strikes. We’ve got a plan that includes now and in the wintertime. We have to do work so that he throws more strikes. No doubt about that.”

With Lehigh Valley threw just 4 1.3 innings, he allowed eight hits, 20 runs and 14 walks. He struck out five in just three starts. In one start he failed to record an out, giving up seven earned runs and six walks.

In his final start against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 26 he recorded five outs, but walks remained an issue. He went 1.2 innings and only allowed one hit. But, he gave up five earned runs, walked five and struck out three before he was removed from the game with two out in the second inning.

In three Triple-A starts McGarry had a 41.54 ERA.

Before his call-up, he spent all but one inning with Double-A Reading, where he went 1-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 13 starts. He threw 54.2 innings, striking out 74 and walking 36. He pitched one inning in one game in May for the Phillies’ Florida Complex League rookie team as part of an injury rehab assignment.

For his minor league career before Triple-A, McGarry was 6-9 with a 3.44 ERA with 249 strikeouts and 103 walks.