The Phillies went out today and acquired former All-Star first baseman Mike Sweeney from the Seattle Mariners for either a player to be named later or cash considerations. He's a career .298 hitter and was batting .263 this season with 6 HRs in 30 games. Sweeney has actually already had two stints on the DL this season, so he'll fit right in with his new ball club. He's most recently been doing a rehab stint with Triple-A Tacoma.
The plus side of this move is that the Phillies will give up very little for a right-handed bat who brings a whole lot of experience with him. He's also a trained first baseman, unlike Cody Ransom, but hasn't seen a ton of time in the field as of late.
Charlie Manuel told reporters this afternoon that Sweeney will be the regular first baseman while Howard is out. The Phillies will make a roster move on Thursday when Sweeney arrives with the team to make room for him.
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As for tonight's game, Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 4.44) will face Anibal Sanchez (8-6, 3.33) with the Phillies looking to secure a road series victory in Florida.
Tonight's lineup: Rollins SS, Polanco 3B, Ibanez LF, Werth CF, Gload 1B, Brown RF, Ruiz C, Valdez 2B and Kendrick P.
First pitch scheduled for 7:10 from Florida. Don't pay much attention to what your calendar says, it certainly feels like Choochtober.