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Phillies Notes | Team picks up troubled reliever

Phillies Notes CHICAGO - The Phillies yesterday added a pitcher with a troubled past to their thin staff. They acquired righthanded reliever Julio Mateo from the Seattle Mariners for minor-league infielder Jesus Merchan. The Phillies said Mateo would provide depth if they lose another pitcher to injury. But he also comes with legal problems.

Phillies Notes

CHICAGO - The Phillies yesterday added a pitcher with a troubled past to their thin staff.

They acquired righthanded reliever Julio Mateo from the Seattle Mariners for minor-league infielder Jesus Merchan. The Phillies said Mateo would provide depth if they lose another pitcher to injury. But he also comes with legal problems.

Police charged him with third-degree assault May 5 after he allegedly punched, bit and choked his wife, Aurea, in a Manhattan hotel. He has a court date Sept. 4. The Phillies assigned him to double-A Reading instead of triple-A Ottawa because he cannot enter Canada on account of his legal troubles.

"In all issues like that, we take them very seriously and I think we're very aware of his situation," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said before last night's game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. "All of our major-league players and minor-league players have undergone counseling [on spousal abuse], and we will make sure Julio has the same opportunity to meet with our people and receive the proper counseling.

"At the same time, we've had four or five injuries in the last couple days, so we thought we'd get him just in case something happened up here."

Mateo told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on July 24, "I'm not guilty of anything."

As far as the allegations, Mateo said, "That's a lie. They can't prove that. I didn't do anything. They said she had a black eye. What I know is that was not true. The way it was put in the newspaper, it did not happen that way."

The Post-Intelligencer reported that the 29-year-old Mateo was under a restraining order that prohibits him from seeing or talking to his wife. She is in the Dominican Republic with their 4-year-old son, Julio.

Mateo is 18-12 with a 3.68 ERA in parts of six seasons with the Mariners. He opened the season with Seattle, but the team immediately suspended him for 10 games without pay after his arrest. After that, the Mariners optioned him to triple-A Tacoma. He hasn't been back to the big leagues.

He went 3-1 with a 0.79 ERA and 12 saves in Tacoma.

Merchan hit .330 with seven home runs and 44 RBIs in 81 games for Reading before a recent promotion to Ottawa.

Extra bases

The Phillies purchased the contract of righthander

Gary Knotts

from the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. Knotts went 7-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 16 starts. The Phils assigned him to Reading.

. . . The Phillies said righthander

Scott Mathieson,

who has not pitched since last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, could make his first rehab start in less than two weeks. Mathieson could help the Phillies in the bullpen in September, the Phils said.

- Todd Zolecki