Phillies Notes | Manuel says he's confident Branyan can do the job
Phillies Notes Charlie Manuel said he isn't concerned about the .197 average because he knows Russell Branyan well. "He wasn't getting a lot of at-bats," Manuel said of Branyan, whom the Phillies acquired yesterday from the Cleveland Indians for cash. "If I know the guy, I don't look at that. I don't grade the guy out that way."
Charlie Manuel
said he isn't concerned about the .197 average because he knows
Russell Branyan
well.
"He wasn't getting a lot of at-bats," Manuel said of Branyan, whom the Phillies acquired yesterday from the Cleveland Indians for cash. "If I know the guy, I don't look at that. I don't grade the guy out that way."
Branyan, 31, hit just .197 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 61 games with San Diego before the Padres released him July 28. The Indians signed him Tuesday and he appeared in one game for triple-A Buffalo. He was expected to be in uniform last night, but his flight from Buffalo to Philadelphia was delayed.
The Phillies optioned righthander Geoff Geary to triple-A Ottawa to make room for Branyan on the 25-man roster. They also designated double-A Reading righthander Zack Segovia for assignment to make room for him on the 40-man roster.
"He strikes out, but he's capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark," Manuel said of Branyan. "Those kind of guys you have to have every now and then. He's like most sluggers. He's a hot-and-cold guy. You never know when he's going to hit one. If he gets the ball up in the air, he's got a good chance of hitting it out."
Branyan is a career .229 hitter with 118 home runs, 293 RBIs and 734 strikeouts in 688 games for Cleveland, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and San Diego. He can play third base and left field.
Manuel has been working with just four players on his bench since Rod Barajas landed on the disabled list Friday in Milwaukee.
"This definitely gives us more things to do," Manuel said. "If we get into the ninth inning with no players, it makes it kind of rough if you get into extra innings."
Not quite ready
Shane Victorino
, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right calf, had hoped to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. But he felt some tightness in the calf yesterday and those plans could be delayed.
He can be activated as early as Wednesday in Washington.
"The only way I'm going to know [if the calf is 100 percent] is if I get in a game situation," Victorino said. "That could be either Saturday or Sunday to at least [pinch-hit]."- Todd Zolecki