Cincinnati, OH – The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired outfielder John Bowker from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Bowker has spent the majority of the 2011 season at Triple-A Indianapolis, but will join the Phillies in Cincinnati and is expected to see most of his time as a pinch hitter. He was hitting .306 with 15 homers and 76 runs batted in 106 games for Indianapolis, ranking eighth in the International League in batting.
The 28-year-old veteran appeared in 19 big league games for the Pirates this season, all in April, and 16 of his 17 at-bats came as a pinch hitter. He had four hits with two runs batted in for Pittsburgh.
Bowker, who can play first base in addition to both corner outfield positions, is a career .237 hitter in the majors. He broke in with San Francisco in 2008 and remained with the Giants until joining Pittsburgh in 2010.
The Phillies opened a spot on the 25-man roster by optioning pitcher Michael Schwimer to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and opened a spot on the 40-man roster by transferring pitcher Jose Contreras to the 60-day disabled list.
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