Phillies Notes: Rehabbing Domonic Brown heading for IronPigs

WASHINGTON - Domonic Brown is set to take the next step in his rehabilitation from left Achilles tendinitis. The rightfielder is scheduled to join triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday in Buffalo, where he will work to get his timing down against upper-level pitching before rejoining the Phillies.

On Thursday night, Brown started in right field and batted third for high-A Clearwater. It was his sixth game with the Threshers and he played nine innings Wednesday for the first time. He entered Thursday 4 for 14 with one home run, two RBIs, five strikeouts, and one walk.

Brown, 27, has been eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list since Saturday. He was placed on the DL late in spring training after exiting a March 19 Grapefruit League game against the Yankees in Tampa, Fla.

When Brown is activated, the Phillies will have to make a roster move. Utility infielder Andres Blanco is the likely candidate to be demoted. Grady Sizemore and Jeff Francoeur have split duties in right field in Brown's stead.

Sizemore, playing on a guaranteed $2 million contract for this season, got just his third hit in 20 at-bats when he pinch-hit for Cole Hamels in the seventh inning. Francoeur, who made the team as a non-roster invitee to spring training, has provided pop from the right side of the plate. Entering Thursday, his two home runs were tied with Chase Utley for the team lead.

Ben Revere, who started the Phillies' first nine games, got the night off - until he pinch-hit in the ninth inning and grounded into a game-ending double play.

The centerfielder-

turned-leftfielder is in a woeful slump - he has just five hits in 37 at-bats (.135). He was 0 for 4 Wednesday in the series finale against the Mets.

Darin Ruf started in left field for the third time this season.

Centerfielder Odubel Herrera on Wednesday became the first Phillies rookie with three extra-base hits in a game since Bobby Estalella on Aug. 8 1998. . . . J.P. Crawford, the Phillies' top prospect, could return to the field with high-A Clearwater in the first week of May, director of player development Joe Jordan said. The 20-year-old shortstop swung a bat this week for the first time since he strained his left oblique on March 24. - Jake Kaplan