MLBTradeRumors.com · Apr 10, 2017
Phillies To Use Joaquin Benoit As Closer
The Phillies have made a change in the ninth inning and will use veteran right-hander Joaquin Benoit to close out games “for the time being,” manager Pete Mackanin told reporters today (Twitter link via Ryan Lawrence of PhillyVoice.com).
The change comes on the heels of a dreadful run for 2016 closer Jeanmar Gomez, who figures to slide into a lower-leverage role as he looks to bounce back. Dating back to last year’s All-Star break, Gomez has surrendered 30 runs on 47 hits and 13 walks in 30 innings of work. He’s managed a respectable 25 strikeouts and 47.7 percent ground-ball rate in that time, but he’s also been tagged for five homers en route to that ghastly 9.00 earned run average.