A veteran major leaguer - and an Opening Day starter - suddenly finds himself about to make a healthy start in the minor leagues.

Stunning? Sure.

But not all together surprising.

Dontrelle Willis accepted a similar assignment this year, after failing to find control in his first two months with Detroit.

Cleveland Indians lefty Cliff Lee, who is tied for the American League lead with 11 wins this year, made a tour of the minors after he was carrying a 6.38 ERA last July.

When a pitcher is struggling as badly as Brett Myers is now (and like Lee and Willis have before), the best way to get him right is to remove him from his current situation. As everyone with the Phillies explained Tuesday, that couldn't come from the bullpen, where there is no structured layout for when and how long he'd be able to pitch.

Sending him to Lehigh Valley also removes the pressure and stress of trying to make outs in the big leagues. And since a majority of Myers' issue come from the neck up, pitching out from under the major league microscope could work wonders for his confidence.

On the flip side of that, though, is how he performs in the first outing (and first inning) when he does come back to the Phillies. If that goes badly...

In addition to his minor league stint, the Phils may want to consider having Myers talk with a sports psychologist. Time and time again this year, Myers has lost his confidence on the mound when one thing goes bad.

This doesn't happen to Cole Hamels or Kyle Kendrick... and it's part of the reason they've found success this year. They get over their mistakes quickly.

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The Phils promoted left-handed reliever R.J. Swindle following Tuesday night's game.

Swindle will take Myers’ spot on the 25-man roster. Since the Phillies won’t need a starting pitcher until Friday or Saturday, Swindle’s stay in the major league could be temporary if the team plans to call up a starter.

Swindle’s stats, however, may help his case for sticking around. In 29 games between Lehigh Valley and Reading, the 24-year-old, soft-tossing Swindle is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA.

He’s struck out 48 batters while walking only six in 40 innings.


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The Archive Files

This is under construction. I noticed in the last two days the old links I posted in the past are no longer working.

I emailed the tech guy at delcotimes.com, but haven't heard back.