The Phillies expanded their roster Wednesday by calling up two familiar names.
In the latest September call-ups, left-handed reliever Sergio Escalona and first baseman Andy Tracy will return to the majors.
This was the sixth call-up this season for Escalona. He won his Major-League debut when he pitched a scoreless inning against the Washington Nationals on May 17.
In total the 25-year-old made six appearances for the Phils this season allowing five hits, two walks and four strikeouts while posting a 2.84 ERA in 6.1 innings.
As for Tracy he returns to the Majors for the first time since last September when he appeared in four games for the Phillies exclusively as a left-handed pinch hitter.
The 35-year-old went on a power tear for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year. He was second in the International League in both homers (26) and RBI (96) while posting a .254 batting average.
Both these guys add some depth for the stretch run. Escalona held lefties to a .143 average in his limited work earlier this season and Tracy can help out as another power-hitting lefty off the bench while the Phillies wait for Greg Dobbs to return from the disabled list.
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But what is good news for some players was bad news for another.
The Phillies released pitcher Rodrigo Lopez to make room on the roster. Lopez went 3-1 with the Phillies this season while posting a 5.70 ERA in seven games (5 starts).
