D'Arnaud siblings square off in City of Brotherly Love

TWO WEEKS earlier, Chase d'Arnaud was just grateful to return to the major leagues, a week after his minor league season at Triple A Lehigh Valley ended. The 28-year-old d'Arnaud had played in only 16 big-league games since 2011 when he was added to the roster after Cesar Hernandez suffered a season-ending thumb injury.

But d'Arnaud's return to the big leagues came with a bonus for the final week of the season: His younger brother and parents arrived at Citizens Bank Park yesterday. Travis d'Arnaud, a former top Phillies prospect, is the starting catcher for the recently crowned National League East champion New York Mets.

With both the Phillies and Mets having off days in their respective schedules on Monday, the siblings got together in the City of Brotherly Love a day before the three-game series.

"The last time we were on the field together with both of us playing was in 2009, at the South Atlantic League All-Star Game," Chase d'Arnaud said yesterday.

The 28-year-old Chase was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2008. He played in 48 game with the Pirates in 2011, but has spent most of last four years in the minor leagues; he hit .268 as the IronPigs' regular shortstop this season.

He is two years older than Travis, who was selected by the Phillies with the 37th overall pick in the 2007 draft and then traded in December 2009 to Toronto in the deal that brought Roy Halladay to Philadelphia.

The younger d'Arnaud was traded for a second former Cy Young Award-winner (with Noah Syndergaard) three years later in the deal that sent former Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to Toronto. Before this season, that and his frequent trips to the disabled list were arguably what Travis d'Arnaud was best known for.

But in 2015, the catcher has been an important piece in New York's meteoric rise in the NL East standings. Travis d'Arnaud is hitting .270 with an .830 OPS in 64 games this season and has hit eight home runs since Aug. 1.

"It's got me checking the (Major League Baseball) At Bat application on my phone all the time," Chase d'Arnaud said. "He's my little brother, I look out for him. I always have. So it's interesting seeing good stats, watching him hit home runs all the time. It's awesome, I'm so happy seeing him doing what he's doing right now."

Before last night's game, Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he would try to get the elder d'Arnaud onto the field before the Mets leave town.

"There's a very good chance that'll happen," Mackanin said. "And I'm hoping his brother will tell him what's coming. Which I'm sure won't happen . . . (the Mets) are playing for home-field advantage."

The manager made good on his promise later in the night, using the older d'Arnaud as a pinch-hitter. After the brothers had a brief chat, Chase struck out swinging.

Maikel Franco has been sidelined for seven weeks, but is scheduled to return to the Phillies lineup for the final weekend of the season.

Franco has been taking part in baseball activities for nearly two weeks in Clearwater, Fla., where instructional league play recently started. Mackanin said the plan was for Franco to play both yesterday and today before rejoining the team tomorrow and available to play in this weekend's season-ending series vs. Miami.

"He feels great," Mackanin said. "They've been sending us video of his at-bats, and he looks fine, he's swinging the bat with authority. He looks fine." Although Franco was still complaining of discomfort when he made contact last week, Mackanin said the rookie third baseman is finally pain-free.

"Obviously, we wouldn't even have him swinging the bat - so there's obviously no pain," Mackanin said. "I think it'll be good for him to finish up and play in the last three games of the season feeling good leaving here, getting ready for winter ball, and being ready for next year."

Franco, 23, is hitting .277 with an .830 OPS and 13 home runs in 77 games this season. He was placed on the DL with a left wrist fracture after being hit with a pitch on Aug. 11 in Arizona.

Ryan Howard, sidelined for two weeks with a bruised left knee, also could rejoin the lineup this week. Howard began taking regular batting practice Friday in Washington.

The Phillies will go with a bullpen game in place of Aaron Nola on Friday, when the Marlins come to town. Nola was shut down for the remainder of the season after his start Saturday, when he reached a total of 187 innings between the major and minor leagues. Each of the remaining four starters in the rotation has one more start: Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff pitch tonight and tomorrow against the Mets, while Aaron Harang and David Buchanan are on tap for Saturday and Sunday, respectively, against the Marlins . . . Andres Blanco originally was in last night's starting lineup but was scratched because he wasn't back with the team after his wife gave birth on Monday. Darnell Sweeney started in his place at second base. Blanco is expected back with the Phillies tonight . . . Aaron Altherr (rightfield) and Low A Lakewood outfielder Cord Sandberg (leftfield) were both recipients of Minor League Baseball's Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, making the Phillies the only organization in baseball with multiple winners this season. The winners were selected from qualifying players from the 10, domestic-based full-season minor leagues.

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese