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Phillies announce pitchers for first spring training games

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies will wait to use any members of their starting rotation, as they showed Tuesday when they laid out plans for the first three games of spring training.

Mark Leiter Jr., a righthanded pitcher who spent last season at double A, will start Thursday against the University of Tampa in a seven-inning exhibition at Spectrum Field. Alec Asher will start Friday's Grapefruit League opener in Tampa against the Yankees, and Adam Morgan will start Saturday against the Yankees in Clearwater.

Pitching coach Bob McClure said one of the five starters - likely Jeremy Hellickson - will start Sunday in Dunedin against Toronto.

Leiter, whose dad pitched for the Phillies in the 1990s, had a 3.39 ERA last season with Reading. He struck out 94 and walked 30 in 103 2/3 innings. Thursday's lineup against Tampa will not include any regular players.

"I might get someone in there for an at-bat, but I don't want to take any chances against a college team," manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's too early. We have so many games and so much time left. There's no rush for that. And it's only seven innings. Let some of the pitchers get their work in. Get it going a little bit."