Notes: Howard to Triple-A; Herrera sits

PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies are changing the plan for Spencer Howard again.

The team optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley prior to Tuesday’s game against the Marlins to make room for second baseman Jean Segura, who was activated from the 10-day injured list. Howard will continue to start with Lehigh Valley, where he will focus on building to 100 pitches and learning to pound the strike zone with his offspeed pitches.

It sounds like an investment in 2022, more than ‘21, considering Howard is on a strict -- albeit unknown -- inning limit this season.

“I would say so, yeah,” Howard said at Citizens Bank Park. “I think, long run, it’ll be for the better -- no timeline or anything. They just said, ‘We see you as a starter and to essentially build as one.’”

Howard was 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA in nine appearances (five starts) this season. He started Monday night in Cincinnati, but he lasted only 2 1/3 innings. Howard has dominated hitters his first time through the lineup, holding them to a .103 batting average and a .350 OPS. But those numbers skyrocket to a .353 average and a 1.344 OPS the second time through.

“To me, you can bully your way through a lineup just with the fastball,” Howard said. “Second time through is when you really need to get them off of that. So that’s when the offspeed, for me at least, comes into play. If I can just mix some of that in and get them to respect the fact that it is there, it will make my fastball better.”

Howard’s dominance against hitters the first time he sees them could make him a candidate to help in the bullpen, but the Phillies’ decision on Tuesday makes it clear that is not an immediate consideration.

“I see where they’re coming from with wanting to win games and wanting me to be here vs. building and all that’s going on,” Howard said. “To me, it all makes sense. Now that I get to go down and focus on developing and -- not [necessarily] putting the team in jeopardy -- but not having to worry about contributing to win games.

“Obviously, I would want to be here over Lehigh, but I’m just trying to think big picture of going back and getting everything dialed in. I know, for sure, that long term, it’ll be good.”

Herrera sits
Phillies center fielder Odúbel Herrera did not start Tuesday, following a mental lapse in the first inning Monday in Cincinnati. Herrera was engaged in conversation with Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez, then did not get a secondary lead from third base when Bryce Harper hit a ground ball to first baseman Joey Votto.

Herrera got a late break on contact and was thrown out easily.

Luke Williams started in center field on Tuesday. It is unclear if manager Joe Girardi benched Herrera for his mental gaffe, or if he did not play him because he wanted an extra right-handed hitter against Marlins left-hander Trevor Rogers. Girardi talked to reporters before he announced his lineup, but he defended Herrera when asked about his baserunning on Monday.

“There’s a lot put on Odúbel here. A sac fly gets him in, too. A base hit gets him in, too,” Girardi said. “The first baseman was fairly close. That’s the bottom line. And you have to be a little bit less aggressive. We’re trying to stay out of the double play. … It’s not as easy as it looks. And Odúbel is not Roman Quinn. Odúbel doesn’t get to top speed as quick as Roman Quinn and he doesn’t run as fast as Roman Quinn. That’s the other thing that you have to look at.”