After injury-riddled camp, Brown is optioned

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Reality set in Thursday morning when Domonic Brown walked to the middle of the Phillies clubhouse and inspected the lineup card tacked to the bulletin board. Brown had been cleared to resume playing after a neck injury, but his name did not appear anywhere on the board.

"Life goes on," Brown said Friday.

Now his bags were packed for minor-league camp, a move guaranteed well before this day. Brown came to camp with the stated goal of making the team, but the odds were long. He was optioned Friday and will be the everyday left fielder for triple-A Lehigh Valley.

"I'm going to go down there, play hard, and that's it," Brown said. "I really don't have anything else to say. I was not expecting it, but keeping it in the back of my mind."

Brown's spring was marred by health issues, and he appeared in only seven Grapefruit League games. He missed the last week of action because of a neck injury suffered on a bus ride to Kissimmee, Fla. Earlier in camp, he sprained his right thumb when forced to dive for a ball he took a bad route to, and missed five more games.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Brown's injuries prevented the team from seeing as much of him as it would have liked, but that he still clearly has more strides to make in left field.

"We're not in the mode right now to develop guys at the major league level," Amaro said. "He's a guy that needs to get to the point where we are comfortable with him in all phases of the game, and then he'll make the impact at the major league level when he is ready to do that."

When he was on the field, Brown showed promise at the plate. He was 6 for 20 with two triples, a home run, and four runs scored. But his defensive issues were difficult to ignore in left field.

Brown, 24, has lost the label of "prospect" because he's played in 91 major-league games. The organization is divided on his future, mostly because of the problems in the outfield.

He can alleviate some of those concerns with a strong start at triple A.

"I've been through a lot these last couple of years," Brown said. "A lot more than some veteran guys. I think I can deal with it. I think I can handle it. Play hard, that's all I can do."

Amaro said the team is keeping its eyes open for middle infield and outfield depth. The team could use a right-handed bat off the bench. Lefties Scott Podsednik and Juan Pierre are both in the mix for a bench spot, although lefties Laynce Nix and Jim Thome are already in the fold.

Although Amaro said the Brown's defense at his former position in right field was better -- "He was close," the GM said -- he also said that the organization has not had any discussions about moving Hunter Pence to left field so that Brown can return to his natural position in right.

"He's still a work in progress," Amaro said. "He's not a ready-made major league player yet. If he was, he would be here. He just needs to play out there. He really hasn't played very much out there at all in left field, and it's a different position."

David Murphy of the Daily News contributed to this article.

Contact Matt Gelb at mgelb@phillynews.com or follow on Twitter @magelb.