Heralded Franco makes his debut with Phillies

ATLANTA -Maikel Franco's first day in a Phillies uniform probably felt as quick as his rapid ascension from Class A ball to the big leagues in the last 16 months.

Franco was called up on Monday. Yesterday, the 22-year-old was penciled into the lineup of his major league game, becoming the youngest position player to start a game for the Phillies since a 21-year-old Jimmy Rollins took his spot as shortstop at Veterans Stadium 14 years ago this month.

Franco grounded out in each of his first three plate appearances against Atlanta lefthander Mike Minor. He swung at the first pitch in both his second and third at-bats, a likely sign of anxiety that's to be expected of the new kid on the block who hopes to leave a memorable first impression.

"That's understandable," manager Ryne Sandberg said of possible first-game jitters.

"When I went out there for your first at-bat, with everything going on," Franco said, "I just tried to put it out of my mind. 'It's not that big of a deal, just go play baseball.' "

Franco (rhymes with "Bronco") hit a sacrifice fly in his fourth and final at-bat, bringing in the final run of the Phillies' 4-0 win over the offensively challenged Braves.

Kyle Kendrick nearly overshadowed Franco's big-league debut, turning in his best start of the season. A day after Cole Hamels and Co. no-hit Atlanta, Kendrick held the Braves to three hits in seven shutout innings.

It marked the first time the Phillies have posted back-to-back shutouts in more than 2 years (Aug. 13-14 2012). The Braves have scored one run in their last 36 innings.

Kendrick, a free agent at season's end with a 4.77 ERA, isn't likely to return in 2015. Franco will be back.

Franco, who started at third base, got to the big leagues on merit. He hit .289 with 47 home runs and 69 doubles in the last 2 years, rising from Class A Clearwater to Triple A Lehigh Valley, with a brief stay at Double A Reading in between.

But he arrived in a major league clubhouse for the first time just a year and a week removed from his 21st birthday.

"He's not a finished product. I don't know that there's any finished products when they get to the major leagues," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "This is where players get finished off and become the players they're going to become.

"He has a lot of things to learn. He's going to struggle . . . By no means is he a finished product. We still have a lot of young players on the field who are playing. Cody Asche's still not a finished product. He's going to continue to get better. Ben Revere has improved in some areas. Kenny Giles continues to improve every time he comes out. [Jake] Diekman. The young players, the more they get opportunities, the more they can improve."

On Franco's first day in the big leagues, the power-hitting corner infielder started at his natural position. He could see time at first base, too.

But there is no definitive plan for his first month, although Amaro acknowledged it would be a detriment for the developing hitter to play only a couple times a week. Franco's playing time, according to Amaro, will be dictated by Sandberg, who writes out the starting lineups.

"If all things go well, it would be reasonable to have a range of 50 to 60 at-bats," Sandberg said. "It would be kind of a benchmark or a goal."

Ryan Howard was called up on Sept. 1, 2004, and with Jim Thome entrenched at first base, made only five starts and got 39 total at-bats that month. It didn't impede his development.

"I thought [Franco] did pretty well - he'll be getting more at-bats, he'll get comfortable," Howard said. "Watching him take batting practice, he's got a nice easy swing and his ball has late travel. With what we saw in spring training, with what he did in the second half at Triple A, once he can get more [at-bats] here and get comfortable playing, we'll see what happens."

Asche, like Franco, is a young, developing player. And Amaro declared that Howard "is our first baseman," despite the former MVP's .691 OPS at the start of the game, the 21st lowest OPS among the 22 major league first baseman who qualify.

"Day by day," Sandberg said of his lineup. "Still looking at matchups and having the best team out there to win the game. That's still a priority. Looking at some matchups, see what makes sense, see travel schedule, a guy needs to get off his feet. That kind of keeps it a day-to-day type of situation."

Franco might or might not be back in the lineup this afternoon, when the Phils take on righthander Ervin Santana in another Turner Field matinee (12:10 p.m.). But after leaving Triple A with a bang, hitting .324 with a .924 OPS in the last 2 months, with six home runs in his last 20 games, Franco has arrived to the big leagues as an intriguing option in September and an important building block for the future.

"He kind of forced our hand," Amaro said of Franco's promotion. "He showed us that he improved enough to get an opportunity to come up here and play some."

A day after taking both Chase Utley and Ryan Howard out of the ninth inning of a no-hitter - and a lopsided game - to get the two veterans off their feet on a hot day, Ryne Sandberg held Utley out of the lineup last night. It was Utley's second day off in 8 days . . . Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phillies are still undecided whether to convert Cuban import Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez back to a starting role before the start of the 2015 season. Gonzalez, who joined the Phillies yesterday, had a 2.19 ERA and held opponents to a .195 batting average in 28 games (37 innings) as a reliever in the minor leagues this season. He was signed a year ago to a 3-year, $12 million contract as a starter, but endured shoulder issues for most of his first 12 months in the Phillies' system and went 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts as Class A Clearwater in May . . . Righthander Jonathan Pettibone, who underwent shoulder surgery earlier this summer, might not be ready for Opening Day.

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese