The Philadelphia Phillies selected LHP Hoby Milner in the seventh round of the 2012 amateur draft out of the University of Texas at Austin. Milner has spent five seasons in the Phillies' minor league organization. ( Laura Nawrocik /Flickr Creative Commons)

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The Cleveland Indians have returned southpaw Hoby Milner to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to a club announcement on Friday. Milner, 26, was selected with the 27th pick, 15th overall, in last December's Rule 5 draft.

Milner will now report to Phillies big league camp as a non-roster invitee, despite there being less than a week remaining before the club heads north to Cincinnati for Opening Day on Monday, April 3.

Milner was not among the 11 players the Phillies protected from the Rule 5 draft through being added to the 40-man roster.

In order for a player to not be returned to their original club, as did the Phillies in 2016 with outfielder Tyler Goeddel, along with Odubel Herrera and Shane Victorino in years past, the selected player must remain on the acquiring team's 25-man major league roster for the entire season.

The Indians did not see a longterm fit with Milner and thus chose to part ways. By returning the Fort Worth, Texas native, Cleveland will get back half of their $100,000 spendings it took to select him, notes Paul Hoynes of MLB.com.

In seven outings this spring with the Indians, Milner recorded a 9.00 ERA with seven runs allowed, three walks and nine strikeouts through seven innings of work.

The left-hander was a combined 5-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 65 last innings at the Phillies' Double-A and Triple-A levels. Milner had 76 strikeouts and just 15 walks surrendered.