Phillies acquire extra bat Bowker from Pirates

CINCINNATIThe Phillies have added another left-handed bat to their roster.

The team has acquired John Bowker from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash or a player to be named.

Bowker, 28, has played parts of four seasons in the majors with San Francisco and Pittsburgh. He is a lifetime .237 hitter with 17 homers in 561 big-league at-bats. He spent 19 games with the Pirates this season and hit just .235. Bowker has spent the bulk of the season at Triple A Indianapolis, where he was hitting .308 with 15 homers and 76 RBIs in 105 games.

During his time in the majors, Bowker hit .301 (22 for 73) with four doubles, two triples and a homer in pinch-hitting situations.

Bowker plays first base and outfield.Reserve Ross Gload plays those positions, but he has been slowed by a hip injury. Gload, a left-handed hitter, has just three hits in his last 28 at-bats.

Bowker is in Cincinnati for Wednesday night's game and will be wearing No. 16. To make room for him on the 25-man roster, the team sent reliever Michael Schwimer to Triple A after Tuesday nights game. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Phillies placed reliever Jose Contreras on the 60-day disabled list.

Bowker does not necessarily have to be on the Phillies postseason roster, but he will be eligible for selection because he joined the organization by the Sept. 1 deadline.