Healthy Phipps Getting Back to 2011 Form
The advent of the 2012 season, however, wasn't as kind to Phipps, as the 27-year-old struggled through the season's first month with Louisville before going on the disabled list in mid-May with a shoulder injury. It took Phipps six weeks to get healthy, returning to the active roster on the last day of June, just before the all-star break.
The time off must have allowed Phipps to fully mend, however, as the right-hander has been on a tear since returning to the lineup. Phipps has hit safely in 10 of 11 games since the all-star break with five multi-hit games, batting at a .388 clip in that span with a pair of homers and eight RBIs.
In the Bats 22-1 pummeling of Gwinnett on July 13th, Phipps earned his first career five-hit game, one of which was a grand slam. This past Sunday, Phipps celebrated his birthday with a three hit night which also included a big fly.
Phipps' increased offensive production has been a welcome sight for the struggling Bats' offense, and despite his early offensive struggles, his solid defense has kept him as a fixture in the team's outfield when healthy. With solid speed and a six-foot-three frame, Phipps has spent most of his time this season in center field, making 46 starts there, and a combined 11 starts in the corner outfield spots.
Phipps, a Dominican Republic native who was signed by the Reds when he was 18, spent the first part of last season putting up career numbers in double-A when he the right-hander was called up to Louisville. The increase in competition only seemed to lock in Phipps even more at the plate, as he hit a sizzling .380 with the Bats in 40 games over the season's final chapter.
Phipps' all-around game was solid for the duration of 2011, as he totaled a .346 average, 12 home runs, 64 RBIs, and stole 14 bases between the two levels. He also had a 16-game hit streak that spanned between June and July, and in both months he earned the organization's Player of the Month Award thanks to monthly batting averages over .400.
Although Phipps still has some work to do to regain his 2011 form, he has returned from the DL a different player than the one who started the 2012 campaign in April. If he continues his hot hitting and shows enough in the Bats' outfield, he has a chance to be a September call-up for the Reds and perhaps earn his first opportunity in the big leagues.