Phillies option Franco to Triple-A, activate Miller

PHILADELPHIA -- The roster roulette that has become the Phillies’ 25-man roster took another turn on Sunday morning.

This time, one of the members of the club’s Opening Day lineup was sent packing to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Maikel Franco -- once projected as a cornerstone of the Phils' rebuilding project at third base -- was optioned to the IronPigs before Sunday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox. Brad Miller -- who was on the injured list with a right hip flexor strain -- was activated.

The 26-year-old Franco hit .231/.296/.405 this season, well below last season's marks. He had 15 home runs and 47 RBIs in 102 games.

The move makes Scott Kingery the starting third baseman for the foreseeable future. Kingery has played primarily in the outfield.

“With the acquisition of Corey Dickerson and Jay Bruce coming back, we understand it limits the reps in the outfield,” manager Gabe Kapler said before Sunday's game. “We have quite a few outfielders. Scott will end up moving to the dirt, and the most logical way to get Scott reps right now is at third base.”

With the decision to play Kingery at third, Franco was the odd man out because of his lack of playing different positions.

"Sean Rodriguez plays third base, plays shortstop, plays center field, play left field and plays right field,” Kapler said. “He hits left-handed pitching. He profiles well in that role. With Mikey, he doesn’t play multiple positions, and he really hasn’t hit left-handed pitching well. So, we have a left-handed power bat and on base threat in Brad Miller, and we want to have that profiled on our bench, especially with Corey Dickerson and Jay Bruce in the lineup together.

“We just felt that this was the appropriate time to make a move that was difficult for our clubhouse because we all care deeply for Maikel Franco, who is an exceptional teammate and a great person. But we felt that the best roster for the Philadelphia Phillies had Sean Rodriguez on it right now because of his ability to play all over the diamond.”

When asked how Franco took the news, Kapler didn’t mince words. “He was upset,” Kapler said. “He wants to be on a Major League roster. That’s completely understandable.”

Franco has been with the Phils' big league roster since the final month of the 2014 season. He has been the primary third baseman since '15, playing more than 131 games in each of the past three seasons.

When asked if Franco’s time in Philadelphia was effectively over, Kapler wasn’t ready to go that far.

“He could be back here if we have another injury,” Kapler said. “The latest he could be back here is Sept. 1.”