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Phillies farmhand thriving after return from retirement

READING - It was an interesting transaction announced just as the minor-league season was getting underway. "OF Andrew Pullin retired," read the April 9 listing on the Florida State League's transaction log. Pullin hit 14 homers last season with high-A Clearwater to lead the Florida State League. And now he was retired at just 22.

READING - It was an interesting transaction announced just as the minor-league season was getting underway.

"OF Andrew Pullin retired," read the April 9 listing on the Florida State League's transaction log. Pullin hit 14 homers last season with high-A Clearwater to lead the Florida State League. And now he was retired at just 22.

Pullin returned home for a month to Centralia, Wash. It was a break, he said, to clear his mind more than it was a retirement from baseball. There was a thought that Pullin was disappointed that he was assigned to start the season in Clearwater instead of double-A Reading.

"I had some problems at home that I had to take care of," Pullin said. "I'm back from that now, and I feel better than ever. Just having a lot of fun."

The Phillies waited for Pullin to return, and he said the team was helpful during his time away. He came out of retirement in May, rejoined Clearwater, and forced his way to double A after just 36 games. The 22-year-old is off to a torrid start with the Fightin Phils, hitting four homers in his first 18 games with a .333 batting average and .395 on-base percentage. Pullin batted .293 in 147 at-bats with Clearwater.

"If that's what he needed to come back to the game, then we're ecstatic to have him back," Reading manager Dusty Wathan said. "A guy with his talent, you would hate to lose him and have him retire at such a young age with so much talent. Some guys, especially high school guys, it's hard. You're coming out of high school and next thing you know you're thrown into the mix of all these guys in Florida, and you're on your own. You're on the other side of the country.

"I didn't sign out of high school, but it really has to be a difficult time. There's really no one looking over you. You're on your own at 18 years old. You're a man. Go get them. I think sometimes it happens with high school guys. I've seen it happen to multiple guys. But hopefully, that's behind him. It probably refreshed him. He went home and took the game away for a little bit."

Pullin's play since returning has put him in contention to be placed this offseason on the Phillies' 40-man roster, thus protecting him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft in December. The Phillies signed him out of high school after drafting him in the fifth round of the 2012 draft.

"I haven't really thought about that at all," Pullin said. "It's great, for sure, but right now I'm not trying to think too far ahead. Just focused on now and each game."

Pullin said his success has come from his refined approach at the plate. He has learned to be more patient and wait for the right pitch instead of chasing what the pitcher wants him to swing at. It was something, Pullin said, that came with the accumulation of at-bats over the last few seasons. And he said he can already feel it being tested against the pitching at double A, where the opposition is more consistent.

"It's great," Pullin said. "I'm coming out each day, going pitch by pitch and not trying to do too much."

mbreen@phillynews.com

@matt_breen www.philly.com/

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