Max Lazar has had some ups and downs during the season with the Phillies, but his latest downturn was a biggie and led the Phillies to option him back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In return, the Phillies recalled veteran reliever Nelson Hoffman, who had been purchased from the Rangers in mid-June.

In Sunday’s win over Washington, Lazar was called upon in the eighth inning with the Phillies up 11-6. The plan was for him to pitch two innings as to avoid using Jhoan Duran, saving him for the home series against the Mariners. Lazar breezed through the eighth and got the first out of the ninth before Luis Garcia Jr. singled and C.J. Abrams followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position. It didn’t really matter where the runners were because Paul DeJong followed with a home run to cut the lead to 11-9 and after allowing another double to Daylen Lile, Lazar was gone in favor of Duran, who got the final two outs for the save.

The following day, Lazar was really gone. This time sent for a trip on the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike bound for the Lehigh Valley.

The collapse followed five straight scoreless outings covering six innings of work in which he allowed two hits and one walk, striking out five. He had a similar thing happen in his last outing in July when he gave up six earned runs in one-third of an inning against the White Sox. That followed a stretch of 20 straight games covering 22.1 innings where he allowed just six earned runs for a 2.42 ERA with 15 hits, 8 walks, and 15 strikeouts. The Chicago explosion pushed his ERA for the month of July from 1.93 to 7.45.

Overall, Lazar has pitched in 28 games with a 1-1 record, one save in one opportunity, and a 4.38 ERA with the Phillies.

Hoffman, 28, was pitching for Lehigh Valley and had a 3-0 mark with a 3.32 ERA and three saves in three opportunities in his time with Lehigh Valley. The Phillies acquired Hoffman in mid-June from the Texas Rangers in a cash deal. The sidearming right-hander had been added to the 40-man roster when he was acquired but then optioned to Lehigh Valley.

Combining his stints at Triple-A with Round Rock and Lehigh Valley this season, Hoffman was 5-0 but with a 5.00 ERA after posting a 5.91 ERA in 22 games with the Express. Hoffman, who was originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, has pitched in all or part of the last three seasons at Triple-A and is 13-3 with a 4.86 ERA in 83 relief appearances and three relief appearances, converting five of the eight save opportunities that he has had.