Former Phillies prospect among duo of pitchers reassigned to minor league camp

Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher prospect Spencer Howard made a strong case to make the Opening Day roster. However, the SF Giants trimmed the camp roster on Saturday, reassigning him along with Blayne Enlow to the minors, per Shayna Rubin of The San Francisco Chronicle.

Former Phillies prospect among duo of pitchers reassigned to minor league camp

As Rubin notes, Daulton Jefferies, Mason Black, and Landen Roupp all still remain in camp as non-roster invitees. The Giants have a solid core of relievers consisting of Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, Taylor Rogers, Luke Jackson, and Ryan Walker.

However, the back end of the bullpen remains a question mark. The Giants have already optioned many of the bullpen arms on their 40-man roster, so there is a possibility that more than one non-roster invitee is added to the active roster to fill out the bullpen.

Howard was originally a second-round pick by the Phillies in the 2017 draft out of Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo. At one point, he was considered one of the game's best prospects, ranking as high as No. 27 according to Baseball America before the 2020 season.

The righty pitcher has been bothered by a shoulder ailment in recent seasons and landed on the 60-day injured list with the Texas Rangers last season after sustaining a lat strain. Overall, he has struggled to the tune of a 7.20 ERA in parts of four seasons with the Phillies and Rangers.

However, Howard impressed the Giants in the Cactus League. In four outings, he allowed just two earned runs with eight strikeouts and five walks. He flashes a mid-90's four-seam fastball with a slider and a changeup, but struggles with control at times.

On the other hand, the Giants added Blayne Enlow on a minor league deal in December. Enlow was a high school draftee by the Minnesota Twins in 2017, but has missed considerable time due to the canceled 2020 season as well as undergoing Tommy John surgery in the following year.

In six minor league seasons, he has tallied a 4.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, and a 2.62 SO/W ratio while working primarily as a starter. Enlow has a starter's pitch mix that includes a low 90's four-seam fastball that he pairs with a cutter and a curveball. His control is a work in progress, but he has shown improvement in recent seasons.

The 24-year-old posted a 4.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts against only one walk in nine Cactus League innings.

Neither pitcher will break camp with the club following Saturday's roster moves, but each one made a solid impression. The Giants might need to leverage that depth down the road.