Phillieshome.com | Philadelphia Phillies News, phillies Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> --LHP J.C. Romero will lose about $1.25 million in wages and isn't eligible to pitch for the Phillies until June 1 after receiving a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball. The penalty was related to an over-the-counter supplement he bought and ingested last summer that resulted in a positive drug test for a banned substance.</div>--2B Marcus Giles has decided he is not ready to retire. Giles, who didn't play last season after being released by the Rockies, signed a minor league contract worth $600,000 and will have a chance to win a job with the Phillies during spring training. The Phillies could use Giles as insurance in case All-Star 2B Chase Utley isn't ready to open the season after undergoing hip surgery in November. Giles, who will turn 31 in May, is best known for his years in Atlanta. In 2003, he batted .316 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Braves and played in the All-Star Game. Giles spent 2007 with San Diego, batting only .229 with four homers and 39 RBIs. He's a .277 career hitter in seven seasons with Atlanta and San Diego. Top infield prospect Jason Donald also will have a chance to fill in for Utley, although Donald could be headed for Class AAA Lehigh Valley after a breakout 2007 season at Class AA Reading. --LHP Cole Hamels' comments about the rival New York Mets have sparked a reaction from Braves 3B Chipper Jones. Last month, Hamels called the Mets "choke artists" during an interview on a New York sports radio station. It was the latest in a series of verbal jabs between the Phillies and Mets. "We won (the NL East) for 14 consecutive years, and you never, ever, saw any bulletin board material," Jones told The Sporting News. "And now that these two teams are on top of the division, they can't keep their mouths shut. Just go play baseball. It's Cole Hamels now. It was Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Beltran the past couple of springs. These two teams are constantly going at each other verbally. You know, win with class, lose with class. Just keep your mouth shut and go play your game." To recap: Rollins said the Phillies would be the "team to beat" in 2007, a boast that proved prophetic thanks to the Phillies' September surge and the Mets' epic meltdown. Beltran countered with a "team to beat" claim last season, but once again, the Phillies finished strong and the Mets folded. A few days after Hamels' remark, new Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez said New York again would be the "team to beat." --RHP Gary Majewski signed a minor league contract with the Phillies last month, and last week, he received a non-roster invitation to spring training. Majewski, 28, is 9-13 with a 4.61 in 229 career relief appearances for the Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds. He will be among 19 non-roster invitees. Others with major league experience include 2B Marcus Giles, RHP Yorman Bazardo, RHP Dave Borkowski, OF Jason Ellison, RHP Mike Koplove and RHP Blaine Neal. Also invited to spring training were three prospects: INF Jason Donald, LHP Antonio Bastardo and OF Jeremy Slayden. --OF Dominic Brown was Baseball America's unexpected choice as the Phillies' top prospect for 2009. Brown, 20, batted .291 with nine homers, 54 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, 64 walks, a .382 on-base percentage and a .417 slugging percentage for low Class A Lakewood last season. He's a 6-foot-5, left-handed hitter who was drafted in the 20th round in 2006. Brown likely would've been picked sooner, but he had committed to play wide receiver at the University of Miami. The Phils were able to sign him for $200,000 because he didn't have the test scores to play at Miami. Brown has drawn comparisons to Darryl Strawberry, and although he lacks raw power, the Phillies believe he's still growing into his body. BY THE NUMBERS: 2.17 -- LHP J.C. Romero's ERA in 132 appearances for the Phillies since he was claimed off waivers in June 2007. QUOTE TO NOTE: "Basically, I'm being punished for not having a chemistry lab in my house to test everything I put in my body because reading the ingredients on a label is no longer good enough." -- LHP J.C. Romero, who has received a 50-game suspension for taking a supplement that resulted in a positive test for a banned substance.

--LHP J.C. Romero will lose about $1.25 million in wages and isn't eligible to pitch for the Phillies until June 1 after receiving a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball. The penalty was related to an over-the-counter supplement he bought and ingested last summer that resulted in a positive drug test for a banned substance.

--2B Marcus Giles has decided he is not ready to retire. Giles, who didn't play last season after being released by the Rockies, signed a minor league contract worth $600,000 and will have a chance to win a job with the Phillies during spring training. The Phillies could use Giles as insurance in case All-Star 2B Chase Utley isn't ready to open the season after undergoing hip surgery in November.

Giles, who will turn 31 in May, is best known for his years in Atlanta. In 2003, he batted .316 with 21 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Braves and played in the All-Star Game. Giles spent 2007 with San Diego, batting only .229 with four homers and 39 RBIs. He's a .277 career hitter in seven seasons with Atlanta and San Diego.

Top infield prospect Jason Donald also will have a chance to fill in for Utley, although Donald could be headed for Class AAA Lehigh Valley after a breakout 2007 season at Class AA Reading.

--LHP Cole Hamels' comments about the rival New York Mets have sparked a reaction from Braves 3B Chipper Jones. Last month, Hamels called the Mets "choke artists" during an interview on a New York sports radio station. It was the latest in a series of verbal jabs between the Phillies and Mets.

"We won (the NL East) for 14 consecutive years, and you never, ever, saw any bulletin board material," Jones told The Sporting News. "And now that these two teams are on top of the division, they can't keep their mouths shut. Just go play baseball. It's Cole Hamels now. It was Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Beltran the past couple of springs. These two teams are constantly going at each other verbally. You know, win with class, lose with class. Just keep your mouth shut and go play your game."

To recap: Rollins said the Phillies would be the "team to beat" in 2007, a boast that proved prophetic thanks to the Phillies' September surge and the Mets' epic meltdown. Beltran countered with a "team to beat" claim last season, but once again, the Phillies finished strong and the Mets folded. A few days after Hamels' remark, new Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez said New York again would be the "team to beat."

--RHP Gary Majewski signed a minor league contract with the Phillies last month, and last week, he received a non-roster invitation to spring training. Majewski, 28, is 9-13 with a 4.61 in 229 career relief appearances for the Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds. He will be among 19 non-roster invitees. Others with major league experience include 2B Marcus Giles, RHP Yorman Bazardo, RHP Dave Borkowski, OF Jason Ellison, RHP Mike Koplove and RHP Blaine Neal. Also invited to spring training were three prospects: INF Jason Donald, LHP Antonio Bastardo and OF Jeremy Slayden.

--OF Dominic Brown was Baseball America's unexpected choice as the Phillies' top prospect for 2009. Brown, 20, batted .291 with nine homers, 54 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, 64 walks, a .382 on-base percentage and a .417 slugging percentage for low Class A Lakewood last season. He's a 6-foot-5, left-handed hitter who was drafted in the 20th round in 2006. Brown likely would've been picked sooner, but he had committed to play wide receiver at the University of Miami. The Phils were able to sign him for $200,000 because he didn't have the test scores to play at Miami.

Brown has drawn comparisons to Darryl Strawberry, and although he lacks raw power, the Phillies believe he's still growing into his body.

BY THE NUMBERS: 2.17 -- LHP J.C. Romero's ERA in 132 appearances for the Phillies since he was claimed off waivers in June 2007.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Basically, I'm being punished for not having a chemistry lab in my house to test everything I put in my body because reading the ingredients on a label is no longer good enough." -- LHP J.C. Romero, who has received a 50-game suspension for taking a supplement that resulted in a positive test for a banned substance.