Wednesday, August 29, 2012

UPDATE: Tyler Cloyd starting tonight

Well, that didn't take long.

Tyler Cloyd, who was named International League MVP Tuesday after going 12-1 for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, will make his big-league debut tonight after Cole Hamels was scratched with what's being described as an intestinal illness.

(Someone check with John Legend and Awesome Emma to see if they have been visiting the porcelain god after the Hamels Foundation's event Monday night.)

Anyway, this is a big opportunity for Cloyd, an 18th round selection in 2008. Despite not possessing an overpowering arm, he has had a stellar minor-league career (48-22, 3.27 ERA in five seasons) that has been topped by a ridiculous 2012 performance in Double- and Triple-A (15-1, 2.26 in 167 IP).

He has been a workhorse in the minors, and if he earns more September starts after his debut tonight, Cloyd easily could log 200 innings this season and give the Phillies an idea whether they need to bring in a veteran to compete for a rotation spot next year.

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