Phillies Notes: Phils ponder 6-man rotation for September

Aaron Nola took the mound Tuesday night having thrown 139 innings this season between double A, triple A and the major leagues.

The Phillies don't want their 22-year-old righthander logging many more than 170 or 180 innings this season, his first full year as a professional. To prolong his season and that of fellow rookie Adam Morgan, the team is considering using a six-man starting rotation in September.

"We'll have the flexibility to do that at that time," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "That's something that we've talked about. It's a possibility. There's a couple guys who could come up and be that sixth guy."

The rotation stands at four between Nola, Morgan, Aaron Harang and Jerome Williams. The Phillies have yet to announce who will start Saturday's game in Miami, although triple-A righthander Jerad Eickhoff is the likeliest option.

Eickhoff probably was slated for a promotion next month when rosters expand. Alec Asher, who like Eickhoff came to the Phillies in the Cole Hamels trade, is a likely candidate for the September rotation as well.

Jorge Alfaro, the prized catching prospect the Phillies received in the Hamels trade, is "progressing very well" in his rehab from a June ankle injury, Amaro said.

Alfaro, 22, is rehabbing at the Phillies' facility in Clearwater, Fla., where the staff is readying him to play in the fall instructional league. He also is likely to play winter ball ahead of his first spring training with the Phillies.

Amaro said Alfaro has done sprint work around the outside of the infield and resumed blocking drills behind the plate Tuesday.

"So far, so good," Amaro said. "He's an animal. He's a specimen. We hope that we get to see a little bit more of him [in the instructional league] and see where we go from there."

Two and a half weeks after he packed his bags in the home clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park, Ben Revere reported to the visitors' side. He took the field for his 16th start in 16 games since he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Tuesday's game was his first for them in center field after 15 as their leftfielder.

"It's good to come back and see the guys and everything, see the fans," said Revere, who came into Tuesday hitting just .216 through 51 at-bats with his new team. "On the other side, it's definitely going to be a change. Hopefully, I don't run into the first-base dugout."

Revere moved from baseball's worst team to a vastly improved club in the thick of a pennant race. The Blue Jays entered Tuesday with 12 wins in 15 August games, a stretch highlighted by an 11-game winning streak. Revere has batted mostly ninth for them, serving as a de facto second leadoff hitter to set the table for baseball's most potent top of the order: Troy Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson, and Jose Bautista.

- Jake Kaplan