Phillies add top prospects to 40-man roster

PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies on Friday announced they selected the contracts of three players to the 40-man roster, protecting them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft: infielder Luis García, right-hander James McArthur and outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz.

They also claimed left-hander Kent Emanuel off waivers from Houston.

It moves the Phils to 36 players on the 40-man roster.

Garcia is the Phillies’ No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Ortiz is No. 10.

Garcia, 21, slashed .243/.353/.414 with 18 doubles, five triples, 13 homers, 50 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 103 games with Low-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore. The Phillies signed him as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. Ortiz, 23, led all Phillies Minor League players with 23 home runs in 2021. He batted .250 with an .834 OPS in 95 games with Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading. Ortiz was selected as the designated hitter for the High-A East All-Star team. The Phillies signed him as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican in 2015.

McArthur, 24, had a 4.25 ERA in 20 appearances (15 starts) pitching almost exclusively with Reading. He had a 2.23 ERA in his final nine appearances. He went to the Arizona Fall League, striking out 18 in 16 2/3 innings. The Phillies selected McArthur in the 12th round of the 2018 Draft.

Emanuel, 29, had a 2.55 ERA in 10 appearances in his debut season with the Astros in 2021. He pitched 8 2/3 innings in relief in his big league debut on April 24, after Jake Odorizzi left his start after one out because of an injury. It was the longest relief outing in baseball since May 31, 1988.

Emanuel had UCL surgery in the summer. He previously had Tommy John surgery in 2015. He got suspended last year for 80 games after testing positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone in violation of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Emanuel denied “knowingly or intentionally” taking the substance. He wore No. 0 when he joined the Astros, which he said is how many games he should have been suspended.