Philadelphia Phillies Place Relief Pitcher David Herndon on 15-Day Disabled List

The Philadelphia Phillies have placed relief pitcher David Herndon on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. The team will call up a player to take Herndon’s spot on the 25-man roster tomorrow.

Herndon is 0-1 with a 4.70 ERA in five appearances this season. He has struck out eight and walked just one batter in 7.2 innings. Last year, Herndon was 1-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 45 appearances, striking out 39 batters in 57 innings.

Herndon joins Michael Stutes on the disabled list. In place of Stutes right now is Michael Schwimer, who has struggled in his limited major leagues innings in September of last season and so far in 2012.

To take Herndon’s spot on the roster, the Phillies may call up Jake Diekman, the left-handed relief pitcher who is tearing up Triple-A this season. Diekman is 0-0 with an 0.82 ERA this season; he has struck out 17 batters and walked just three in 11 innings for the IronPigs. He struck out 83 batters in 65 innings in Double-A last season, posting a 3.05 ERA in 53 appearances.

The Phillies are heading to Atlanta to play the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series, and it may be a good move to call up Diekman. The Braves have two power-hitting lefties in Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman.

Phillippe Aumont and Justin De Fratus are said to be the relief pitchers of the future for the Phillies, but De Fratus is on the DL with an elbow injury and Aumont has struggled vastly with his control in Triple-A. Other options include Raul Valdes and Brian Sanches.