Manager Pete Mackanin said at some point Howard's role could be reduced, but nothing is imminent, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports. "I'm going to look at it a week at a time," Mackanin said. "We'll see. At some point it might come to that, but I can't say it's imminent."
Howard went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Monday, lowering his average to .156. He has just four hits in the month of May, but three of those hits were home runs. A reduction in Howard's role would lead to increased at-bats for Tommy Joseph, who is off to a solid start since his promotion from Triple-A. Howard is in the final year of his contract, so it would not be surprising to see the Phillies move him to a bench role or even release him if his struggles continue.