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 just 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.