A health check on several Phillies pitchers:
• Jerad Eickhoff has recovered from a strained muscle in his upper back. He pitched five innings of one-run ball against Trenton on a rehab assignment with Double A Reading on Tuesday night and has been cleared to start against San Diego on Sunday afternoon in the final game before the All-Star break.
The Phillies won't activate Eickhoff from the disabled list until Sunday.
• Vince Velasquez, recovering from a forearm strain, will start for Reading at Trenton on Thursday night. Velasquez won't be activated from the disabled list until after the All-Star break, so he will likely have at least one more rehab start after Thursday's.
Manager Pete Mackanin indicated that Velasquez would continue to work as a starter when he comes off the DL.
"I don't think there are any plans to put him in the 'pen based on what I've heard," Mackanin said.
But will there immediately be room for Velasquez in the big-league rotation? Eickhoff is expected to replace Mark Leiter Jr. Aaron Nola and Jeremy Hellickson are staying in the rotation and newcomers Ben Lively and Nick Pivetta have pitched well enough to stay. It would not be a shock to see Velasquez optioned to Triple A until an opening arises in the rotation — and that could possibly be a trade of Hellickson.
MLB
• Zach Eflin, recovering from a bout of elbow inflammation, has been throwing and could be activated to the Triple A rotation early next week.
• Right-hander Kevin Gowdy, the team's second-round pick (No. 42 overall) in last year's draft, is on the Single A Williamsport roster, but has yet to pitch as he recovers from a bout of biceps tendinitis. Director of player development Joe Jordan reports that Gowdy has been throwing and is expected to get competitive innings this summer.
Gowdy was the top-rated high school pitcher in California by Baseball America last year.