The Phillies have claimed right-handed pitcher Max Castillo off waivers from the Boston Red Sox. To make room for Castillo on the 40-man roster, outfielder Simón Muzziotti was designated for assignment.
Phillies President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski made the announcement.
Castillo, 24, spent last season in the Kansas City Royals organization, making seven relief appearances for the Royals and 22 appearances (21 starts) with triple-A Omaha. Between both teams, Castillo combined to go 6-8 with a 4.56 ERA (69 ER, 136.1 IP), 37 walks and 104 strikeouts. He posted a 3.36 strikeout-to-walk ratio (94 SO, 28 BB) with Omaha, which was the fourth-best in the International League (min. 75.0 IP).
In his major league career, the Caracas, Venezuela native, has made 21 appearances (6 starts) with the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City, going 0-3 with a 5.43 ERA (36 ER, 59.2 IP) with 47 strikeouts and 24 walks.
Originally signed by Toronto as an amateur free agent in 2015, the 6-foot-2, 280-pound righty has pitched in 136 minor league games (124 starts), going 52-26 with a 4.04 ERA (294 ER, 654.2 IP), 590 strikeouts, 189 walks and a 1.27 WHIP while holding batters to a .255 average (645-2528).
