The Phillies decided to finally give up on veteran righty starting pitcher Kris Benson by releasing him. Benson started 13 games in A+AAA ball this season and he was 1-6 with a 5.78 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. He allowed a stunning 95 hits in only 67 innings in the minor leagues so the Phillies couldn’t risk bringing him up to the team in a pennant race. They won’t miss him at all.

The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired 40-year old OF/1B Matt Stairs from the Blue Jays for lefty reliever Fabio Castro.  Stairs played in 105 games for the Blue Jays this season and he was 80 for 320 (.250 avg, .736 OPS) with 42 runs scored, 11 homers and 44 RBIs.  This was a good move for the Phillies as Stairs gives them a solid bat from the left side.  Stairs has now played in 1,646 games in his major league career and he is 1,308 for 4,920 (.266 avg, .840 OPS) with 733 runs scored, 252 homers and 859 RBIs.  Fabio Castro pitched in 10 games (1 start) for the Phillies this season and he was 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP.  Castro pitched in 30 games (1 start) in his two years with the Phillies and he was 0-1 with 1 save, a 3.30 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.  Castro had problems with his control in Philly as he walked 26 batters in only 43.2 innings the last two years.  Castro was a Rule 5 Pick for the Phillies two winters ago so that wasn’t too high of a price to pay for a hitter like Stairs.

The Phillies have placed outfielder Geoff Jenkins on the 15-day disabled list with a right hip flexor strain. Jenkins has played in 108 games for the Phillies this season and he is 70 for 284 (.246 avg, .698 OPS) with 27 runs scored, 9 homers and 29 RBIs. Jayson Werth will take over as the full time right fielder and that’s a good thing for the Phillies as he has outplayed Jenkins anyway. Werth has played in 102 games for the Phillies this season and he is 79 for 299 (.264 avg, .839 OPS) with 46 runs scored, 17 homers, 47 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. 34-year old lefty swinging 1B Andy Tracy has been recalled from AAA to replace Jenkins on the active roster. Tracy was playing very well in AAA so the Phillies hope that his bat stays hot. Tracy has played in 120 games in AAA this season and he is 120 for 417 (.288 avg, .893 OPS) with 67 runs scored, 21 homers, 84 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. He has also played in 137 games in his major league career in which he is 59 for 263 (.224 avg, .722 OPS) with 34 runs scored, 13 homers and 41 RBIs. But, Tracy has often been overmatched in the majors as he has whiffed a stunning 95 times in the show.

45-year old lefty starting pitcher Jamie Moyer won his 11th game for the Phillies last night in San Diego beating Greg Maddux and becoming the wins leader for the Phillies this season. Moyer has started 25 games for the Phillies this season and he is 11-7 with a 3.64 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. Moyer has stated that he wants to pitch until he’s 50 which means he probably has his eyes on winning 300 games which is amazing. I wouldn’t bet against Moyer getting there either as he is 77-60 since turning 40 years old after the 2002 season. Moyer has now pitched in 629 games (576 starts) in his major league career and he is 241-185 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP which is amazing when you consider that his fastball couldn’t dent a couch.

Veteran righty reliever Tom Gordon will miss the remainder of the season due to multiple arm injuries. Gordon has pitched in 34 games (0 starts) for the Phillies this season and he is 5-4 with 2 saves, a 5.16 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. Gordon might need Tommy John Surgery so he’s likely pitched his last game in his career for the Phillies.