Altherr, Kleven selected as Phillies Minor League Players of the Month for June
Lehigh Valley outfielder Aaron Altherr and Reading right-hander Colin Kleven have been selected as the Phillies Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for June.
Altherr, 24, split time in June between Reading and Lehigh Valley, combining to hit .355 (38-107) with nine doubles, a triple, four home runs and 15 RBI. He was promoted to Lehigh Valley on June 23 following a nine-game hit streak during which he batted .405 with six multi-hit games.
The 6-foot-5, 215-pound outfielder recorded seven RBI in his last four games in June and has hit .364 with two home runs in nine games since joining the IronPigs. Altherr, who also earned Phillies Minor League Player of the Week honors from June 15-21, was selected by the Phillies in the ninth round of the 2009 draft and was signed by Brad Holland.
Kleven, a 24-year-old native of British Columbia, Canada, also split his month between two different teams, starting four games at Clearwater before being promoted for one final June start in Reading. He combined to go 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA, allowing 21 hits and eight walks in 31.2 innings (0.92 WHIP). He surrendered just five earned during runs the whole month and struck out 23 batters.
In his Reading debut, he tossed 6.0 innings, holding New Britain to one run on just three hits as he earned his sixth win of the season. He has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last 12 minor league starts dating back to April 24. Kleven was selected by the Phillies in the 33rd round of the 2009 draft and was signed Tim Kissner.