Joe Savery, the Phillies' 1st round pick (19th overall) in 2007, was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley today.
While Joe's surface numbers haven't been too shabby in 112.1 Reading innings (12-4, 4.41 ERA), his peripherals have regressed in making the jump from High-A to Double-A: 6.2 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 47.0% GB, 4.78 FIP. At Age 23, there's reason to believe that Joe just hasn't been able -- after labrum surgery his junior year -- to regain the pure stuff that made him as good a prospect as David Price his freshman year at Rice.
The good news is that Savery's athletic and lefthanded, so there's still a chance he'll figure it out. For the time being, though, his promotion to Triple-A -- especially in a month where he surrendered 26 runs in 27 innings -- is a bit curious. Perhaps the organization thinks he's ticketed for the bullpen? Or, if it all goes south on the mound, first base? Only time will tell.