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Weak-hitting Bourjos strictly a bench player for Phillies

Last winter, the Phillies added one hitter on a major-league contract. The team did not have delusions about Peter Bourjos' offensive abilities, but he was expected to be an everyday player on his $2 million deal. He is regarded as an elite defender in the outfield, a quality that outweighed his hitting woes.

Last winter, the Phillies added one hitter on a major-league contract. The team did not have delusions about Peter Bourjos' offensive abilities, but he was expected to be an everyday player on his $2 million deal. He is regarded as an elite defender in the outfield, a quality that outweighed his hitting woes.

Two months into the season, Bourjos is a bench player. Pete Mackanin reached a breaking point with the 29-year-old outfielder, a point when the defense was not enough to compensate for his empty bat.

"Unfortunately, yes," the Phillies manager said. "He has got to make a drastic change to his approach offensively."

Bourjos has started in just one of the Phillies' last eight games. He is 1 for his last 16 with seven strikeouts. His .511 OPS was tied with Houston's Carlos Gomez for the lowest among all major-league outfielders entering play Tuesday.

More at-bats in the outfield will go to recent additions Cody Asche and Jimmy Paredes. Tyler Goeddel, a rookie Rule 5 pick, looks entrenched as a regular. The current alignment, of course, is not optimal and will change. The Phillies hope Nick Williams, Roman Quinn, and Dylan Cozens are some part of a future outfield combination.

Bourjos, one of Phillies general manager Matt Klentak's first acquisitions, was meant to be a mere stopgap, and even that could not last for half of a season.

The book on Bourjos appears quite clear. No hitter in baseball, according to FanGraphs, has seen a higher percentage of sliders than Bourjos. He is 6 for 38 with 16 strikeouts against a slider.

The Phillies, a team so challenged when it comes to run production, will move forward with Bourjos on the bench. He is the team's highest-paid outfielder.

"Well, you know, he's got to make an adjustment," Mackanin said. "I love his defense. He has to make adjustments mechanically like a lot of our guys."

Extra bases

Vince Velasquez, who has pitched fewer than five innings in each of his last three starts, pitches in Wednesday afternoon's series finale. He will be opposed by Cubs righthander John Lackey. Velasquez turned 24 on Tuesday. . . . Cozens was named the Eastern League's player of the month for May. Cozens, 22, hit nine homers and 10 doubles with a .973 OPS in May for double-A Reading. His 15 homers and 18 doubles this season lead the Eastern League.