The Phillies announced Thursday that they’ve selected righty David Paulino’s contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Infielder Nick Maton was optioned to Triple-A to open a spot on the active roster, and right-hander Sam Coonrod is moving from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Paulino, 27, was once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, ranking prominently on top 100 lists at Baseball America, MLB.com, FanGraphs and other outlets from 2016-17. He made his big league debut with the Astros as a 22-year-old in 2016 but struggled on multiple occasions before being hit with an 80-game PED ban back in July 2017. He’s since undergone surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow.
Paulino inked a minor league deal with the Phillies back in February and has had a solid season in an extremely hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. Through 25 appearances, including three starts, he’s worked to a 4.35 ERA with a 25.2 percent strikeout rate and a 10.4 percent walk rate. The Yankees’ Triple-A club tagged him for five runs in late June, but he’s since gone on to pitch at a 3.68 ERA clip with a 23-to-10 K/BB ratio in 22 innings.
Coonrod has been out since June 25 due to tendinitis in his forearm. He briefly went out on a minor league rehab assignment in mid-July, but that stint was put on hold after just two innings due to renewed discomfort. Coonrod would technically be eligible to return in late August, but he’d need to build up and work through another rehab assignment if he does ultimately make it back to the mound this year.