Phils send reliever Bailey Falter to triple A to stretch out his innings, recall reliever Damon Jones

The Phillies have had quite a bit of roster shuffling within the last 24 hours. Bryson Stott was sent down to triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday, and utility man Roman Quinn was called up to the big league club. On Tuesday morning, the Phillies swapped left-handed relievers, sending Bailey Falter to Allentown and calling up Damon Jones. Infielder Ronald Torreyes, who was also playing in triple-A Lehigh Valley, requested, and was granted, his release from the club on Monday.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi said that his message to Stott, who hadn’t started a game since April 18, was simple. Stott started the season with the Phillies despite having played just 10 games above double A.

“He needs to go play,” Girardi said Tuesday. “He is definitely in our future plans. I told him, basically, don’t do what I did. Don’t go down and pout for two weeks. Go play, in case something happens. You know how quickly something can happen in this game. Guy gets hit by a pitch, guy pulls a hammy, you could be right back and expected to play every day. Not getting at-bats is not good for his development. We want him to get at-bats, get going.”

Torreyes, who played for Girardi both with the New York Yankees and the Phillies, likely requested his release because of Stott’s arrival in triple-A. Torreyes hadn’t been getting much playing time in Lehigh Valley, and the plan now is for Stott to get as many at-bats as he can, which would limit Torreyes’ playing time even further.

Girardi said that the Phillies would like to build up Falter more in the minor leagues, and stretch him out as a starter. He’ll start a game in Lehigh Valley on Friday or on Saturday.

“[Jones] threw the ball OK for us when he was up here [earlier this season], I thought,” he said. “And he’s thrown the ball good down there. I think we’re getting to a point where we’re not using our long relievers as much and the work is not consistent, so you have to have some other starters built up, in case it comes a day where we need one. Even today, we feel like we’re going to be fine with the weather, but there was a risk for a little bit, so what do you if you have a doubleheader? You don’t have any one built up. So we thought we’d give them a little bit of a head start.”

Quinn, 28, has spent the bulk of his major league career in the outfield but spent 149 games of his minor league career at shortstop. Girardi believes he can be a useful utility option who offers flexibility in both the outfield and the infield.

“He can be a pinch runner at any time,” Girardi said. “We have a real belief that his legs can change a game. You can stick him in the outfield, and if it has to be for an infielder, on any given night, you have truly five infielders that you can put a combination together with. It’s not like, if you lose your first baseman you can’t move someone to first. You don’t have enough at second, short and third. You’re always covered.”

Bryce Harper played catch in right field before Tuesday’s game for the first time in about a week. Harper, who suffered a mild strain in his throwing arm in a game against the Mets on April 12, is going to continue starting at DH and will see how his arm progresses as he continues to throw. The tentative plan is to start him out at shorter distances and gradually increases him, depending on how he feels.