Inside the Phillies: Why is Domonic Brown still in the minors?

Two years ago Sunday, the Phillies leftfielder experienced a bit of an off game in a road loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Throughout his epic six-week stretch, a homer-less night featuring just one hit, albeit a double, could be considered something of a disappointment.

Life these days is vastly different, of course, for Domonic Brown, a $2.6 million outfielder relegated to triple A through the first two months of this baseball season. After a woeful follow-up last year to his 2013 all-star campaign, Brown suffered a spring training bout of Achilles tendinitis that landed him with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. A continued lack of production kept him there.

Forty-five games later, however, it's worth questioning why Brown remains stuck in the proverbial mud 50 miles north of Citizens Bank Park. If this was a team with its sights set on the postseason, the manner in which the Phillies have handled Brown this season would be the correct one. But considering the organization is rebuilding, what is to be gained by keeping him in triple A?

"I think he's playing pretty well. He's not ready yet to be back in the big leagues for us," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Friday. "When he is, we'll bring him."

When exactly that time is remains to be seen, but the Phillies have not appeared in any rush to recall the oft-maligned former top prospect. At the same time, it does not sound as if Brown is at risk of spending the entire season in triple A. Asked if he expected Brown back playing with the Phillies this season, Amaro said he did.

"I certainly hope so," he said. "I hope so as soon as possible. But right now, we don't feel like he's ready to be here yet."

Including his original rehab assignment, during which he struggled at the plate, Brown entered this weekend hitting just .250 in 176 total at-bats with Lehigh Valley, .272 over May and the first three games of June. He had yet to homer and was slugging a dismal .307. Eight doubles and a triple highlight his season statistics. Opposing pitchers are smart enough to not give him anything to hit on the inner half of the plate. He must make adjustments.

If a change-of-scenery trade would be best for both Brown and the Phillies, the player is certainly not accruing any value toiling in Allentown. Brown, after all these years, is still only 27 years old. Keeping him in the minors accomplishes little, if anything.

Brown, who in spring training shifted back to right field after the trade of Marlon Byrd, will this coming winter be in his second year of arbitration eligibility. He will make $2.6 million this season regardless of whether he is recalled to the majors. If the Phillies decide he is not in their plans, they could non-tender him in the winter, making him a free agent. Until that point, the only way he would be traded is if he is playing in the majors.

A logjam exists in the Phillies outfield. Cody Asche is the team's new everyday leftfielder and will remain there for the rest of the season. One manner in which the Phillies could maximize the value of any potential assets, though, is by moving Ben Revere back to an everyday role in center field and promoting Brown to play at least five days a week in right field, perhaps in a platoon with 31-year-old journeyman Jeff Francoeur.

Meanwhile, Brian Bogusevic, another 31-year-old journeyman, continues to hit at Lehigh Valley - he came into the weekend batting .328 and with at least one hit in 43 of 47 games - and could also warrant a call-up down the road. But one difference between him and Brown is that the latter was penciled in as the Phillies' everyday rightfielder until exiting a March 19 Grapefruit League game with a sore Achilles.

"With Domonic it's really about if he's ready to be our everyday rightfielder, and right now we don't see it that way," Amaro said. "He may feel differently, and that's fine and he should. That's the nature of being an athlete and someone who's participated and played well here at the major-league level.

"I think at some point he will be. I think he's making progress. It's just a matter of dotting some I's and crossing some T's as far as his continued work down there."

@jakemkaplan