Phillies outright Joely Rodriguez to make room on 40-man roster

The Phillies created another spot on their 40-man roster on Monday afternoon by outrighting Joely Rodriguez to triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The lefthanded pitcher is coming off a frustrating season, which started in triple A before he was demoted in June to double-A Reading. Rodriguez spent time as both a starter and a reliever. He finished the season as a starter for Reading, registering a 5.52 ERA in his final nine starts. For the season, Rodriguez walked 57 batters and struck out 74 in 129.1 innings. He has yet to reach the majors.

The Phillies now have three open spot on their 40-man roster. It would not be surprising to seem them select multiple players in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. The team made two selections last season, but broke spring training with just one of the players.