Philadelphia Phillies fans did not hold back. They unleashed a flurry of strong reactions when the club announced that right‑hander Mick Abel would be shipped back to Triple‑A—a move that stunned many after his electrifying nine‑strikeout major‑league debut.
Almost immediately, X (formerly Twitter) lit up. One fan simply posted, “NOOOO.” Another, recalling Abel’s performance, quipped sarcastically, “Imagine tying an 80‑year franchise record and they reward you with a demotion. I love this team!”—a nod to Abel matching Curt Simmons’ nine‑strikeout mark.
Most of the frustration was directed at the front office. Phillies supporter Mitch Bernstein wrote, “So typical of this management. Let him stay and continue his success. Ridiculous.” Alyssa Mayfield joked that she was “knocking on Dave Dombrowski’s office door” because she “just wants to talk.”
A Planned Move For Abel
Luke Arcaini of the blog Crossing Broad reported that Abel had been told before his debut he would make only one start before returning to Lehigh Valley. Manager Rob Thomson echoed that plan after the game, saying, “He’ll be back. If he keeps throwing like that, I guarantee it.”
Yet the complaints kept coming on X. “Ain’t no way y’all really think Taijuan is better than Abel—there’s just no way,” wrote Matthew L. Others worried the demotion might dent the rookie’s confidence: “Great way to help a kid’s confidence after a rock‑solid start.”
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Who Replaces Abel?
Abel’s roster spot goes to right‑hander Max Lazar, who made his Phillies debut last MLB season and appeared in 11 games, posting a 4.61 ERA over 13 2⁄3 innings. Notably, as Alex Carr pointed out, Lazar has shown contrasting results against left-handed hitters. His majors stats against lefties in 2024 were .350/.381/.450 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage), while his Triple-A stats against lefties in 2025 are .114/.184/.371.
