No Surprise Here — Phillies Demote Kendrick

The Phillies have sent Kyle Kendrick to the minors.

The righty entered Spring Training as the favorite to land the fifth starter spot, according to pitching coach Rich Dubee.

He did little to prove himself worthy of a rotation spot -- heck, make that any spot on a Major League roster.

Kendrick was horrible this spring. He went 1-3 in four Grapefruit League starts while posting a 9.20 ERA and 2.18 WHIP.

He just didn't have the right stuff.

Kendrick's undoing began last season. After an impressive rookie campaign where he went 10-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 20 starts, Kendrick posted an 11-9 record with a 5.49 ERA in 31 appearances last season. He lost his spot in the rotation and was kept off the postseason roster.

Maybe the Phillies should have traded Kendrick for competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi last spring. At least you know that Kobayashi can eat up the competition.