Phillies Make 5 Roster Moves, Including Recall Of Pitcher With Tragic Past

The Philadelphia Phillies were busy making moves before Thursday's game with the Miami Marlins. They called up right-hander Andrew Bellatti from Triple-A and reinstated right-hander James Norwood from the bereavement list, while sending down fellow hurlers Connor Brogdon and Damon Jones. The other transaction involved moving pitcher Sam Coonrod to the 60-day IL due to a shoulder strain.

The absence of Coonrod and Brogdon deprives the Phillies of two of their more reliable relievers from last season, though Brogdon's absence is thought to be short-term. Coonrod is likely out until mid-June. The 29-year-old also missed two months of the 2021 season due to forearm tendinitis, as he continues to be plagued by arm problems.

Bellatti has tragic past

The 30-year-old Bellatti has seen time in two big league seasons that are separated by six years. He debuted with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015, appearing in 17 games out of the bullpen, then after bouncing around the minors and the non-MiLB Atlantic League, got into three games for the Miami Marlins in 2021. Over 26.2 total innings in the majors, he owns a 3.71 ERA.

Bellatti has a tragic past, having spent 90 days in jail for vehicular manslaughter back when his career was just getting started in 2010. His baseball life was derailed, but picked up for that one season in 2015, before he landed back in the minors.

At the age of 30, he now gets another chance to resurrect his career.

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