Should the Phillies Demote Stott to the Minors?

Bryson Stott is in the midst of a 0-for-17 streak, is it time for the Philadelphia Phillies to send him down?

When New York Mets' ace Max Scherzer allowed five hits to the Philadelphia Phillies on April 13, two of those hits came off the bat of rookie Bryson Stott. Both of the hits were singles, one in the second inning and one in the fourth.

Rather impressive for a 24-year-old to collect two hits off of a future Hall of Famer. To that point, Stott was sporting a .286/.286/.357 slashline through four games with three RBI.

Since then, Stott's batting average has now dipped to a season-low .133. The Phillies' top prospect is currently mired in a long hitless streak, 0-for-his-last-17. He has seven strikeouts in that span and only one walk, good for a .059 OBP. He's practically been invisible in the Phillies' lineup, and was one of the only players to not record a hit during the Miami Marlins' series.

Still, he earned a start in the first game of the Colorado Rockies' series at shortstop, and although he did not record a hit, he hit the ball far—358 ft and 351 ft on two line outs. Of noted concern is Stott's inability to hit the ball hard; his average exit velocity sits at 82.2, in the fifth percentile, according to baseball-savant.

Stott appeared in the second game as a pinch-hitter, but was struck out, and sat for the final game of the three-game set. So, when is it time to be concerned? Should he be sent down?

Considering Stott's career is only nine games old, it's a bit too early to be worried just yet. And the Phillies have bigger fish to fry observing players not hitting consistently (i.e. Matt Vierling, Bryce Harper, Jean Segura, etc.) 

However, sending Stott down to Triple-A is a viable option. This would allow Stott to regain confidence and receive consistent reps, while also allowing guys at the big-league level, like Alec Bohm, who's sporting a .476 BA in 29 plate appearances, to get consistent playing time as well.

But since Didi Gregorius is day-to-day after being hit on the hand on Tuesday night, it's possible they keep Stott up with the team for the following series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Manager Joe Girardi may opt to split time between him and Johan Camargo at shortstop.

If you're looking to find the positive about Stott's time in the big leagues, it's that his defense, absent third base, has looked solid thus far at shortstop and second. And most importantly, he's looked comfortable at those two positions.

Should he get sent down, we certainly haven't seen the last of Bryson Stott this season. It's likely he reappears in red pinstripes at some point this year, hopefully with a newfound confidence and productivity from the sluggers around him.

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