Blanton expected to debut Tuesday

MIAMI -- Joe Blanton is expected to make his Phillies debut on Tuesday, taking Adam Eaton's spot in the starting rotation.

Acquired on the eve of Philadelphia's second half, Blanton likely will join his new teammates this weekend in Florida, probably on Sunday. He'll open the Mets series on Tuesday at Shea Stadium. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run to New York in 15 innings in his career.

"When I look at our rotation, we needed some different looks," manager Charlie Manuel said before the start of the weekend series at Dolphin Stadium. "We needed to try to get better. It doesn't hurt to try to get a little creative at times."

The Phillies made the move for Blanton because they see him as an innings-eater who pitches deep into games. At the time of the trade, Blanton had the second most innings pitched among American League starters, trailing only the Angels' Jon Garland.

"He's a strike-thrower," Manuel said. "He's a mentally tough guy who likes to pitch. He can definitely help us."

Blanton is 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA this season.

"Maybe a change of scenery will help him," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "We think he's going to be a piece that's going to help us get into the playoffs and further on."