FEELS A FLYERS VICTORY COMING ON
UPDATE (5:06 p.m.): Read the latest version of the story, with more details of the arrest, here.
Phillies prospect Tyson Gillies, one of the three players acquired in the Cliff Lee trade this past off-season, was arrested for cocaine possession in Clearwater, Fla., early Friday morning.
Gillies, 21, was arrested by Pinellas County Sheriff's Officers at 1:48 a.m. Friday morning, according to a spokeswoman. The possession charge is a felony.
Gillies was released from jail at 10:52 a.m. on a $2,000 cash bond.
He was found by police at the La Quinta Inn on Route 19 in Clearwater, less than a mile from the Phillies' spring training complex.
The story was first reported by the St. Petersburg Times.
The team issued the following statement:
"The Phillies have confirmed that Tyson Gillies was charged today on a drug possession charge arising out of an incident that was alleged to have occurred in June. Because this is an open case, we will not comment further at this time."
Gillies played two games for double-A Reading in June, but spent the majority of his time working out at the Phillies' complex in Clearwater while attempting to rehab a sore left hamstring that has slowed him all season.
This past week, Gillies saw his first game action since June. The Vancouver native played three games for the Gulf Coast League Phillies.
On Wednesday, Gillies told his hometown newspaper, The Kamloops Daily News, that he was "finally figuring out the little things coaches have been trying to explain, things you have to struggle with and feel for yourself."
But after three games in the Gulf Coast League, he was shut down again because of the bothersome hamstring. He told the paper he could be headed for a visit with renowned orthopedist James Andrews for an examination.
Gillies hit .229 with two home runs and six RBIs in 26 games for Reading this season. Along with pitchers Phillippe Aumont and J.C. Ramirez, Gillies was acquired by the Phillies on Dec. 16, 2009 from Seattle for Lee.
The outfielder was born with hearing impairments in both ears and is legally deaf.
More to come.
Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.
This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.
Gelb is in his third season covering the Phillies. He was hired by The Inquirer in August 2009 after graduating from Syracuse University. He has also covered baseball at The Star-Ledger and Cape Cod Times. Born and raised in Bucks County, he attended Central Bucks High School West. Follow him on Twitter here.
To submit a question for Matt Gelb's Phillies mailbag, click here.
 | Join on Facebook |  | Follow on Twitter |
