Phillies' Chris Coste has spent 11 years playing minor league ball, waiting for the call he received Sunday morning. Coste finally had his first day in the majors when he was called up from Triple-A to replace infielder Alex Gonzalez, who abruptly retired before Sunday's game.
The phone call came out of nowhere for Coste, who was thinking at the other end of the spectrum when he heard a voice message left by Scranton-Wilkes-Barre manager John Russell. "That I was coming to the big leagues was a zero-percent thought," said Coste, who hit .177 with two home runs and 14 RBIs at Scranton and only recently began to snap out of a long slump. "His voice was serious on the message, and he said, 'We need to talk,' so I was thinking, 'What did I do? Fail a drug test?

"I was lying in bed and I wasn't sure if it was a dream, because I've had dreams that I'm in the big leagues, and then I wake up mad." Coste got a warm welcome from several players and coaches in the dugout. "I'm pumped to see him here," pitcher Cory Lidle said. "When I came in after warming up I gave him a hug and congratulated him.'I saw him in the dugout. He was having a blast."
The Nationals' pitching staff has been so devastated by injuries, it's gotten to the point where the club can barely get through a nine-inning game anymore and their chances to make the playoffs this year are getting worst day by day according to some Sportsbook odds.
Zach Day became the latest pitcher to go down when he had to depart Monday night's game with right shoulder tendonitis. He immediately was placed on the disabled list, where he joins five other injured Washington hurlers: John Patterson, Brian Lawrence, Luis Ayala, Pedro Astacio and Ryan Drese.
Desperate for help, the Nationals will promote right-handed relievers Saul Rivera and Santiago Ramirez from Triple-A New Orleans on Tuesday. They'll still need to find a No. 5 starter to fill Day's spot before it comes up again, with minor-leaguer Shawn Hill the likely candidate.
All the injuries have done a number on a ball club that following Monday's loss to Houston is 16-29. "Check the record, and that will show you the toll," general manager Jim Bowden said.