:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46229606/usa-today-7443039.0.jpg)
Years ago, Ruben Amaro refused to include a lanky, muscular Phillies outfield prospect in any of his sleazy dealings that acquired him a number of the sport's greatest pitchers. In 2010, with Jayson Werth's departure on the horizon, young Domonic Brown's fate seemed clear: He would inherit the right field hole left by his beloved predecessor and make the transition process as smooth as possible.
Slamming an RBI double in his first-ever major league at-bat, Brown set the bar very high. Sadly, he did not hit an RBI double in every subsequent at-bat, confusing and infuriating the entire city. The Phillies knew exactly what to do, though: fill his ear with double-talk and nonsense words while putting him on a bus to and from the minors over the course of several years until his mind shatters and he is unable to play anything resembling defense.
In 2015, as the Phillies sit on the verge of a new era, manager Ryne Sandberg has determined that he will be the latest steward of the chaos that has defined Brown's career. Having suffered an Achilles injury in spring training, Brown has been rehabbing with the IronPigs, but upon his clean bill of health this week, Sandberg has decided he still doesn't want the 27-year-old anywhere near his team, seeing something in Grady Sizemore and Jeff Francoeur that no one else in the sport can see.
Sandberg intends to keep Brown sequestered in Lehigh, where he has been hitting .118 and simply "cruising" according to some reports.
So where is Brown now? No one knows, apparently.
Domonic Brown did not report today to Lehigh Valley. He has 72 hours to join team after being optioned.
— Matt Breen (@matt_breen) April 28, 2015
Sandberg says there's "no timetable" for Domonic Brown's return to Phillies, that'll be "when he shows he's ready to make an impact for us."
— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) April 28, 2015
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to #DOMWATCH. Over the course of the next 72 hours, we will be attempting to keep a watchful eye on Brown's whereabouts, and the club's attempt to make sure this doesn't become a whole "thing." But it's already kind of a "thing."
Updates will come as they are made available. In the mean time, re-enjoy Brown's incredible home runs from May 2013.
