Phillies Notes: Phillies' call-ups won't come all at once

SAN DIEGO - Last season, the Phillies called up seven players once rosters expanded in September. Expect a similar amount of help this season.

On Wednesday, major-league rosters expand from 25 players to 40. Plenty of candidates in the minors could help fill out the roster during a pennant race. They won't all arrive Wednesday.

"I think there will be stages," said Scott Proefrock, the Phillies' assistant general manager. "We may have somebody come Sept. 1. We may have somebody come Sept. 3. We may have somebody come Sept. 7. I don't think they'll all come at once. It depends on what the situation entails."

Greg Dobbs will surely be one of the first summoned to the majors. Dobbs, who has been designated for assignment twice this season, is hitting .154 (4 for 26) at triple-A Lehigh Valley since accepting a minor-league assignment Aug. 21. He has struggled mightily in the majors as a pinch-hitter in 2010, but had flourished in the role before.

Proefrock said the team would recall a third catcher, either Paul Hoover or Dane Sardinha, both of whom have spent time with the Phillies this season. Neither is on the 40-man roster.

A player must be on the 40-man roster to be added in September. The Phillies have 38 players on it, but lefthander Jamie Moyer can be shifted to the 60-day disabled list to free up another spot.

Plenty of candidates for recall are already on the 40-man roster. Among pitchers, righthanders Andrew Carpenter, Vance Worley, and Scott Mathieson and lefthander Mike Zagurski could come up.

Mathieson, despite a 2.93 ERA and 25 saves for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, is less of a possibility than he was before. The Phillies hired Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter to work with relievers at triple A and double A, and he is teaching Mathieson a splitter. The Phillies could wait to bring up Mathieson after the end of the triple-A season next Monday or keep him paired with Sutter elsewhere.

"We brought Bruce in to do more than just work with Scott," Proefrock said, "but that will be a consideration."

Outfielder John Mayberry Jr. is likely to rejoin the Phillies. Other position players, including infielders Cody Ransom and Andy Tracy and outfielder Rich Thompson, are possibilities, but they must be added to the 40-man roster.

The Phillies will need an additional starting pitcher for their doubleheader next Monday against Florida. Proefrock said someone from the system would fill the role. It could be Carpenter or Worley, but a veteran such as recently signed Nate Robertson or Brandon Duckworth could fill in.

A large contingent of Cole Hamels supporters waited outside the visitors' clubhouse after Sunday's 5-0 win. Hamels, who is from San Diego, definitely feels at home when pitching against the Padres.

In nine career games vs. San Diego, Hamels is 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 59 innings. At Petco Park, he is 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA.

"You can't beat the weather," Hamels quipped.

Ross Gload (strained right groin) will likely come off the disabled list when he is eligible Friday, the Phillies said. He will travel to Clearwater, Fla., next Monday and begin a rehab assignment Tuesday. Gload is with the team on the West Coast and has been running regularly before games. . . . Righthander Danys Baez is also scheduled to begin a throwing program in Clearwater. He was placed on the disabled list Friday with back spasms. . . . In the three-game sweep of the Padres, Phillies starters had a 0.82 ERA, allowing just two runs in 22 innings.