With playing time, Tyler Goeddel finds swing

The jump from double-A baseball to the major leagues is a challenging maneuver, and that is why the Phillies sought to limit Tyler Goeddel's exposure to better pitching. Goeddel, a Rule 5 pick, looked overmatched; he struck out 11 times in his first 21 at-bats.

In his next 37 at-bats, he had one strikeout.

"I'm sure even after his season was over last year he never thought he'd be in the big leagues this year," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Then he gets picked up in Rule 5 and makes the team. It's not easy to make the adjustment and it's a little overwhelming. That's what happened to him.

"But, little by little, he's gaining confidence and starting to be more competitive instead of hoping he can play here."

Goeddel, with two weeks of regular playing time, has become the most productive Phillies corner outfielder. That is a low bar, but it is a much-welcomed development for the Phillies because Peter Bourjos continues to be a lineup liability.

Bourjos, who entered Tuesday with a .198 batting average and .520 OPS, could be on borrowed time. Is it harder to play the veteran every day?

"That's pretty obvious," Mackanin said. "We need him to step it up. He needs to hit better. He does provide the defense and my options are a little bit limited so I'm going to keep the defense out there until …"

The manager did not finish that thought. A possible scenario: Once Cody Asche is ready to return, Goeddel could shift to right with Asche in left and Bourjos on the bench. Asche will need at least another week, maybe more, in his rehab from a strained rib cage muscle.

"Any time along the way if we feel he's ready to help us," Mackanin said, "he'll be up here."

Goeddel, for now, has earned the right to play almost every day. The 23-year-old rookie has started in eight of the Phillies' last nine games. He has not hit the ball hard, but he has made more contact with better plate discipline. He had walked more times (two) than he struck out (one) in his previous 12 games before Tuesday.

The Phillies are committed to keeping Goeddel on the roster for the entire season; if not, they must offer him back to Tampa Bay. His season is best spent not on the bench.

Extra bases

Carlos Ruiz joined Mike Lieberthal, Bob Boone, and Red Dooin as the only players to catch 1,000 games with the Phillies. Ruiz is only the 48th player in major-league history to catch 1,000 or more games with one team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.