Hammer time! Reliever recalled, Neshek to IL

MILWAUKEE -- JD Hammer didn't get much sleep Friday night.

After learning he was headed to Milwaukee, where he'd join the Phillies on Saturday afternoon for his first taste of the big leagues, the right-handed pitcher spent most of the night packing his bags and calling friends and family members. He then drove to Philadelphia for a 4:30 a.m. flight to Chicago, followed by a two-hour drive to Milwaukee.

But after walking into the visitors' clubhouse for the first time and thinking about the journey that led to this point, the long night and extra travel was worth it.

After all, the right-hander was pitching for Double-A Reading less than a week ago, but performed so well in 13 appearances (1-0, 1.77 ERA) that he was sent to Triple-A on May 21 -- his third promotion since last August.

Hammer struck out three batters over two perfect innings in his only appearance with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

"It's been quick," Hammer said. "But this is what you dream of. I'm really excited to be here."

Hammer's chance comes after the Phillies put veteran sidearmer Pat Neshek on the 10-day injured list with a sore left shoulder.

"Neshek was playing catch, and on his 10th throw, he felt some pain in his shoulder," Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said Friday night after the Phillies' 6-4 victory over the Brewers.

And for those who enjoy trivia: Hammer came to the Phillies in a 2017 Deadline deal that sent none other than Neshek to the Rockies, who had selected Hammer in the 24th round of the '16 MLB Draft.

Hammer made a strong first impression, posting a 1.87 ERA in 2017, with 85 strikeouts in 57 2/3 combined innings between Class A Asheville, Class A Advanced Lancaster and Class A Advanced Clearwater. He then struck out another 11 batters, while allowing just one earned run over 13 2/3 innings for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League.

That performance earned Hammer an invitation to big league camp in 2018, but he suffered an elbow injury in Spring Training that kept him sidelined until June, when he made three appearances for Clearwater before landing back on the injured list.

Hammer spent two more months rehabbing before returning to the mound with the Phillies' Rookie League affiliate. He made three appearances there, allowing just one run while striking out five over four innings. The Phillies sent him back to Clearwater in September and he ended the season on a high note, striking out 10 over six scoreless innings.

"I think the injury was kind of a blessing in disguise," Hammer said. "It taught me that I needed to take better care of my body, and how to prepare. I had to go out there and stretch, work with the trainers and strengthen stuff up. It gave me a better understanding of how to move my body and what's going to be effective for me to pitch."

He spent his spring on the Minor League side of camp in 2019 and, while Hammer admits it was a bit of a humbling experience, it was understandable and only inspired him to keep moving forward.

"I don't feel like it was anything that I could control, so I went out there and tried to do my job," Hammer said. "I couldn't control it, but I'm grateful for the opportunities I've gotten from the Phillies. It feels like they believe in me."

He attributes much of his success to the Phillies' Minor League coaching and analytics staff.

"I feel like we've really dug deep into information on hitters -- how to attack guys and what their weaknesses are," Hammer said. "We've gotten a lot of information from the coaching staff and the analytics people to give us an advantage."

Now, he'll try to put that information to work on the biggest stage possible.

"It's been kind of a whirlwind," Hammer said. "But it's a dream come true."