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Slumping Michael Saunders and Maikel Franco held out of Phillies lineup

Saunders is hitless in his last 13 at-bats and Franco is batting .221 with a .281 on-base percentage.

The Phillies spent $9 million this winter to sign Michael Saunders, hoping he would provide insurance for Maikel Franco, a player the team believed was primed for a breakout season.

Those hopes have yet to be fulfilled. Both players were relegated to the bench Tuesday night against Colorado as their slumps continued. Manager Pete Mackanin said he's not sure how long he will keep the players out of his lineup.

"I'm winging it right now," Mackanin said. "I'm just seeing what happens today. I feel like I have to do something to get some offense into the lineup. There comes a point in time where you try different things. I'm trying different things."

Saunders entered Tuesday hitless in his last 13 at-bats. He's batting just .227 with a .273 on-base percentage this season. His first seven weeks with the Phillies matched his final three months of last season, when Saunders ended his first all-star campaign by batting .178 with a .638 OPS in his last 185 at-bats with Toronto.

Saunders' playing time will likely be challenged again once Howie Kendrick returns from the disabled list. A platoon of Kendrick and Saunders seems to be a likely option instead of having one of the two veterans carve away playing time from Aaron Altherr.

"It's not a punishment, but at this level, you have to produce," Mackanin said. "If you want to play, you have to hit. They have to understand that. No one is here on scholarship."

Franco went 0 for 3 on Monday night and looked lost on a pair of strikeouts. He is batting .221 with a .281 on-base percentage. The Phillies offense entered Tuesday with the National League's fifth-worst batting average and on-base percentage this month.

"Franco is going to start figuring it out at some point. Whether I sit him for a day or a week, that remains to be seen," Mackanin said. "It's a conundrum. … This isn't fun. This isn't fun for any of us. I have to keep the guys motivated and pushing hard and try to snap out of it."

Ty Kelly started in left field, with Altherr sliding over to Saunders' spot in right. Andres Blanco started at third base.

Nava on disabled list

Daniel Nava was placed on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. Mackanin said the team does not expect the outfielder to be out long. He is eligible to return on May 31. The Phillies filled his spot on the 25-man roster with lefthander Adam Morgan, who will provide some relief for the team's worn-out bullpen.

Extra bases

The Phillies released pitcher Mario Hollands, who last appeared in the majors in 2014. He had Tommy John surgery before the 2015 season and was pitching this year for double-A Reading. He struggled to regain his velocity after the surgery. … Tommy Joseph entered Tuesday night batting .345 with six doubles and five homers in 58 May at-bats. His .727 slugging percentage this month ranked fifth among all major-league hitters.