Malvern Prep star Phil Gosselin
Josh Harrison requested and was granted his release from the Phillies on Tuesday, potentially opening a bench spot on the Opening Day roster for former Malvern Prep star Phil Gosselin.

“He’s made a real push here and hasn’t gone unnoticed,” manager Joe Girardi said on Tuesday. “They kind of nicknamed him ‘Barrels’ because he also gets the barrel of the bat to the ball.”

Gosselin collected a hit in each of the Phillies' exhibition contests this past week and has impressed while in camp at Citizens Bank Park. His versatility could be a huge factor in the Phils plans moving into the opening week.

Segura healthy
Jean Segura, who was hit in the hand by a pitch on Monday night, completed drills on Tuesday as X-rays came back negative. He'll be good to go for this weekend.

Roster moves
In addition to the release of Harrison, the Phillies transferred right-handers Spencer Howard, Mauricio Llovera, and Addison Russ, along with catcher Logan O’Hoppe, to Lehigh Valley.

Howard, who is the top pitching prospect in the organization, will almost certainly make an appearance at the big league level this season. For control purposes, the Phillies can retain another year of Howard if he isn't on the 30-man roster during the first week of the season.

He pitched well on Tuesday, tossing four scoreless frames while collecting four strikeouts.

"He was good," Girardi said. “His changeup is really effective. His fastball is sneaky -- easy delivery and it comes out at you really well. We’re excited about him."

What's next
The Phillies will play another intrasquad game tonight and Thursday will be an off day, save for Zach Eflin tossing a simulated game. The regular season opens on Friday night as Aaron Nola takes the bump against the Marlins.
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Follow Patrick on Twitter: @PGordonPBR

BY PATRICK GORDON
Managing Editor
pgordon@philadelphiabaseballreview.com

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