Phillies Surprisingly Option Maikel Franco to Triple-A Lehigh
By Thomas Carannante
The unrest in Philadelphia is for real.
The Phillies have fallen seven games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East as the team continues to struggle. Now, the front office is making sure it's doing everything possible to make sure the team is competitive down the stretch.
As a result, Maikel Franco and his unimpressive bat are being sent down to Triple-A Lehigh in what is admittedly a surprising move.
The Phillies have optioned Maikel Franco to AAA. Wow. Brad Miller active.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) August 4, 2019
Franco started the year off hot, but has cooled off and grown inconsistent ever since. He's batting just .231/.296/.405 with 41 runs scored, 15 home runs and 47 RBI in 102 games despite batting at the bottom of the Phillies' stacked lineup.
Brad Miller has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list to provide some versatility for the Phils in Franco's place.
Maybe I’m surprised but but the play of Maikel Franco is not a starting player on a winning team. It’s a wake up call but he can’t be on this team next season #phillies Brad Miller has been reinstated from the 10-day IL and 3B Maikel Franco has been optioned to Lehigh Valley
— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) August 4, 2019
Franco was 6 for his last 34, and with the Phillies needing production down the stretch, the front office felt it needed to go in a different direction and give Scott Kingery more playing time.