Since Mayberry was recalled from the minors on July 5, 14 of his 25 starts have come against righthanders. Ibanez, meanwhile, has started 16 of the Phillies' 27 games since the start of August, excluding a three-game stretch in which he was sidelined with a sore groin.
Still, Manuel clearly wants to give Mayberry an opportunity to play on a more regular basis. The 27-year-old outfielder/first baseman entered last night hitting .298 with a .342 on-base percentage and nine home runs since he rejoined the team. Last night was his 11th start in the Phillies' last 14 games, the most extensive action he has seen since starting eight straight games in centerfield when Shane Victorino was on the disabled list in early July. In his last 11 starts, he is 13-for-40 (.325), with four home runs, 13 RBI, a double, a triple, five walks and six strikeouts. During the eight-game stretch in July, Mayberry went 10-for-35 (.286) with two home runs, six doubles, one walk and six strikeouts.
Ibanez is hitting .240/.288/.416 with 17 home runs in 445 at-bats. Since his batting average bottomed out at .156 on May 1, he is hitting .263/.301/.469 with 16 home runs. But his struggles in August, combined with a .198 batting average against lefties, leaves the leftfield situation far from settled.
Expect Ibanez and Mayberry to both see plenty of opportunities between now and the end of the regular season. Just don't call it a platoon.
Hamels, Part II
Cole Hamels will have a longer leash tonight than he did in his first start off the disabled list, when the Phillies removed him after 76 pitches in a 3-2 win over the Reds on Monday. Hamels showed no ill effects from the shoulder inflammation that caused him to miss a start, striking out seven while allowing only two baserunners and one run in six innings. Manuel estimated that Hamels could throw up to 90 pitches, although he did not set an exact count.
Carpenter claimed
The Phillies bid adieu to minor league righthander Andrew Carpenter yesterday when the Padres claimed the 26-year-old off outright waivers, a move the Phils made to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Carpenter, a second-round draft pick out of Long Beach State in 2006 who saw brief stints with the big-league club in each of the last four seasons, appeared in six games as a reliever in June and July, allowing eight runs in 9 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts, four walks and two home runs allowed.
