Seth Rosin raves about Maikel Franco

Reading righthander Seth Rosin competed in the Arizona Fall League in 2011, and two of his teammates were Mike Trout of Millville and Bryce Harper, both recently named to their second Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

So with that as background, it's interesting to get Rosin's take on his teammate, third baseman Maikel Franco, The Inquirer's No. 3-ranked Phillies prospect. Entering the weekend, Franco was hitting .392 with five home runs and 79 at-bats since his promotion from Clearwater to double-A Reading.

"That guy is incredible," Rosin said of Franco. "I played with some guys before in the fall league like Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, and I don't know if I have seen a hitter like Maikel Franco yet."

What amazes players like Rosin is that Franco won't turn 21 until next month.

"It is really exciting to see his progress," Rosin said. "He is really fun to watch play every day."

Joe Jordan, the Phillies' director of player development, said that Lakewood righthander Shane Watson will be given a rest in hopes of having him finish strong.

Watson was the Phillies' top pick last year, the 40th overall selection. He was a supplemental pick, drafted between the first and second rounds. On Wednesday, Lakewood placed him on the disabled list with right shoulder soreness.

"He is fine, but he's a little tired right now," Jordan said. "We're getting ready to give him a breather, and he has logged a lot of innings."

Watson, who turns 20 next month, pitched seven innings last summer for the Phillies' Gulf Coast League team. He then participated in the Florida Instructional League.

This season Watson is 4-6 with a 4.75 ERA in 16 starts covering 72 innings.

Last summer, Watson learned he had Type 1 diabetes. Jordan said that Watson has done well dealing with the disease.

"We're giving him a little bit of a blow, and hopefully he will finish strong," Jordan said. "He will be skipping a few starts, and we hope that allows him to get his feet underneath him, and we think that it's important that he pitch in August."

Third baseman Zach Green, a third-round pick in 2012, continues to impress at short-season Williamsport. Green entered the weekend hitting .282 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 85 at-bats. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder turned 19 in March.

"Zach has some thunder in his bat, and he has the potential to be a really good offensive player," Jordan said.

With Franco, Cody Asche at Lehigh Valley, and Mitch Walding at Lakewood, the Phillies are as deep at third base as any position in the minor leagues.