Coming into 2011, the Phillies had an embarrassment of riches when it came to pitching. Their major league rotation consisted of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, and Roy Oswalt. While in the minors, pitchers like Brody Colvin, Jared Cosart, Trevor May, Jonathan Pettibone, and Julio Rodriguez were known as the “Baby Aces.” The next generation of pitchers who would carry the Phillies back to the World Series. Colvin and Rodriguez never made it above Double-A, while Pettibone made 20 starts in the majors and posted a 4.45 ERA. Cosart went on to make 72 starts for three different teams and finished his career 16-23 with a 3.98 ERA and the Phillies just saw Trevor May – now pitching as a reliever – this past weekend as a member of the Mets. He has pitched in 295 major league games with a 31-24 mark and a 4.37 ERA.

The Phillies are hoping that a new crop of Baby Aces is developing as we speak. On Sunday, the Phillies promoted right-handers Mick Abel, 20, and Andrew Painter, 19, to Reading where 23-year-old Griff McGarry was already pitching. Lehigh Valley has two other pitchers who are looking to put themselves into the Baby Aces sequel in Michael Plassmeyer and Bailey Falter.

Falter has already reached the majors and has struggled, posting a 5.20 ERA in 25 relief appearances and eight starts. His Triple-A numbers are solid though and he should certainly not be counted out as a legitimate starter for the rotation down the road.

Then, there’s Michael Plassmeyer, who came to the Phillies this season in a minor deal for catcher Austin Wynns, who is now in the majors with San Francisco. Plassmeyer is 4-2, 3.06 in 10 starts with Lehigh Valley after continuing work that he started while playing for former IronPigs manager Dave Brundage at Triple-A Sacramento.

Plassmeyer tried to adjust his pitching arsenal to the smaller Pacific Coast League parks where the ball is known to fly around a lot more than in the International League. Working with ‘Pigs pitching coach Cesar Ramos, Plassmeyer has become more comfortable with using his fastball and worrying more about pitching his game than trying to tailor everything to his environment.

Against Syracuse recently, Plassmeyer had a perfect game for five innings and finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts. “It’s all about just one pitch at a time, one hitter at a time. Donny (IronPigs catcher Donny Sands) and I were on a good pace, so that’s what I focused on,” said the 25-year-old left-hander. “I focus a lot more on just working ahead in the count and then just filling up the corners. Having confidence in my fastball allows me to do that.”

Plassmeyer is not on the 40-man roster but will have to be added to the elite group to be protected in the Rule 5 Draft. That begs the question, do the Phillies add him to the roster and bring him up in September. Honestly, it is unlikely that they do bring him up, but it is highly likely that they protect him with an addition to the roster during the offseason and an audition next spring.

DID YOU SEE THAT? Logan O’Hoppe, who was dealt to the Angels in the Brandon Marsh trade two weeks ago has five home runs in 10 games with Double-A Rocket City. Meanwhile former and future teammate Mickey Moniak hit two home runs for the Angels in five games before breaking a finger while attempting to lay down a bunt and winding up on the IL, which is where he opened the season after getting hurt in the final spring training game of the season.

MEANWHILE... Simon Muzziotti, who went from Double-A to the majors early in the season, was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In his fifth game with the IronPigs, Muzziotti busted it down the line to get an infield single and landed awkwardly on first base. Muzziotti left the game and did not play the following day. A stint on the IL is not out of the question.

TRANSACTIONS... The Phillies placed reliever Corey Knebel on the IL with a lat strain Monday and have brought back righty Sam Coonrod, who had been on a rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley after being on the 60-day IL with a right forearm strain. Coonrod also had a right lat strain last season while with the Dodgers and missed three months. To make room to bring Coonrod back on to the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated left-hander Andrew Vasquez for assignment.

HARPER HYPE... Bryce Harper will start a rehab assignment next week, and even as early as this weekend. Word is that he will not start at Low-A Clearwater and will instead start at High-A Jersey Shore in Lakewood, NJ. The first exposure that Phillies fans had with Harper was when he came there as a member of the Hagerstown Suns in 2011. Back then, Harper was seen as an overhyped young prospect and roundly booed by the Lakewood faithful. He met with the media in a cordial interview after the game and said he understood the boos and said it would prepare him for what would come his way when he visited Philadelphia as a member of the Nationals. There likely will not be any boos from Phillies fans on this visit.