Phillies promote Carrasco to Triple-A

ST. LOUIS -- The Phillies promoted top pitching prospect Carlos Carrasco to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, moving him one step from the big leagues.

With a need for a starting pitcher after lefty Les Walrond's promotion to the Phillies, Carrasco slides into the IronPigs rotation. In 20 games with Double-A Reading, the right-hander has logged 114 2/3 innings and posted a 4.32 ERA.

"We wanted to challenge him against more advanced hitters and felt it was a good time," assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said. "Basically, we thought it was valuable for him to have an adjustment period [at Triple-A], and give him a taste."

Ranked as the Phillies' top prosect by Baseball America for the past two years, the 21-year-old from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, can put himself in contention for a rotation spot in 2009 with a strong showing with the IronPigs. The organization would first like to see how he handles Triple-A competition.

"This is a good move for him," Phillies Minor League director Steve Nowortya told The Morning Call. "If he does well in this last month at Triple-A, we know we can count on him to be in the mix next spring [for a spot in the rotation]. At the same time, if he struggles a bit, we know he'll be back at Triple-A next year."