PHILLIES: 2010 NLCS Preview

As we all anxiously await the time early Sat. evening when arguably one of the best and most-anticipated playoff pitching matchups in post-season history will become a reality, it’s finally starting to set in that the Phillies have made their third consecutive National League Championship  Series with relative ease.

While it’s undeniable that the Reds didn’t hit, pitch, and especially field to the best of their ability, it was very clear who was the better team in that series, whether it play on the field or demeanor in the dugout or clubhouse. You don’t have to be a Phillies fan to realize that.

On the other side, the San Francisco Giants will come into their first NLCS since the Barry Bonds era in a similar fashion. In their 4-game series win against the Atlanta Braves, they out-performed an admirable opponent with dominating starting pitching, and while their hitting weren’t necessarily strong, the bats did capitalize when the opportunity presented itself (countless errors by a certain Braves second basemen) to put the series out of reach.

Hmmm, sounds awfully familiar.

With that said, here is the breakdown of the series between the Phillies and Giants.

SCHEDULE WITH STARTING PITCHING PROBABLES

GAME 1 (7:57 PM SATURDAY): Giants ( Tim Lincecum) at Phillies (Roy Halladay)

GAME 2 (8:19 PM SUNDAY): Giants (Jonathan Sanchez) at Phillies (Roy Oswalt)

GAME 3 (4:19 PM TUESDAY): Phillies (Cole Hamels) at Giants (Matt Cain)

GAME 4 (7:57 PM WEDNESDAY): Phillies (Joe Blanton) at Giants (Madison Bumgardner)

GAME 5 (7:57 PM THURSDAY if needed): Phillies (Roy Halladay) at Giants (Tim Lincecum)

GAME 6 (3:57 or 7:57 PM OCTOBER 23RD if needed): Giants (Jonathan Sanchez) at Phillies (Roy Oswalt)

GAME 7: (7:57 PM OCTOBER 24TH if needed: Giants (TBD) at Phillies (TBD)

STARTING PITCHING

The men on the mound will dictate the future of both teams of this series. On one side, you have the tandem now known as H20, along with a bullpen that looks to be reverting back to their ’08 form. On the other side, you have a 2-time Cy Young award winning pitcher, and 3 other bright young arms to fill out the rotation. Even Barry Zito, a past Cy Young award winner in his own right, couldn’t make the post-season roster. So, which side will win out?  Personally, I would have to go with the team who has a certain pitcher who has both a perfect game and a no-hitter under his belt this year. That’s just me.

ADVANTAGE: PHILLIES

BULLPEN

This one is a little tough. The Phillies bullpen, which for the most part has been considered their achilles heal for the entire season, has woken up as of late. A huge part of that is because of closer Brad Lidge, who had a blast from the past type of performance in the final two months of the season, only blowing one save in the 2 1/2 months of play after the all-star break. In addition to that, they also seemed to find some stability in terms of left-handed pitching out the bullpen, as both Antonio Bastardo and J.C Romero had a stellar final month or so. However, even though it may not have shown in their NLDS series against the Braves, the Giants, led by their perennial all-star of a closer Brian Wilson, may be the most consistent bullpen from top to bottom remaining out of the playoff teams.

ADVANTAGE: GIANTS

HITTING

Not even a question here. While Giants do have certain veterans on their team who are used to playoff competition (Juan Uribe, Aaron Rowand, and Edgar Renteria), they struggled mightily as a team at the plate during the Braves series and for that matter the entire season, even with the probable NL ROY Buster Posey, and a re-surging Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff in the lineup. Compare that to a Phillies lineup who, while still struggling a bit in their own right, was amongst the top offenses in all of baseball this year, and clearly is still the more explosive, experienced, and without question better offense in this matchup.

ADVANTAGE: PHILLIES

INTANGIBLES

Both teams are well-managed. Both teams have players on their team who have been in this type of playoff atmosphere before. So, what separating them? The Phillies are returning to the NLCS for the third consecutive year, while the Giants have long been on vacation during that time. In the two previous years, we all know the end result with the Phillies. Now, back in the same spot, with arguably their most talented team when comparing them to the prior two, I just don’t see that end result changing.

ADVANTAGE: PHILLIES

PREDICTION: Phillies in 6

PHILLIES: NLDS Schedule and Roster Set

While the Phillies do not need to send in their 25-man roster until 10 AM on Wed., after their most recent workout at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday afternoon, the details surrounding the divisional series against the Reds are now officially finalized. Here is the schedule and NLDS roster (information via “The Phillies Zone” writer Matt Gelb).

SCHEDULE (With Probable Starting Pitchers)

Game 1 (Wednesday at 5:07 PM at Citizens Bank Park): Phillies (Roy Halladay) vs. Reds (Edison Volquez)

Game 2 (Friday at 6:07 PM at Citizens Bank Park): Phillies (Roy Oswalt) vs. Reds (Bronson Arroyo)

Game 3: (Sunday at 7:07 PM or 8:07 PM at Great American Ballpark): Reds (Johnny Cueto) vs. Phillies (Cole Hamels)

Game 4: (Monday at 5:07 PM or 7:37 PM at Great American Ballpark if needed) Reds (TBD) vs. Phillies (Roy Halladay)

Game 5: (Wednesday at 6:07 PM or 8:07 PM at Citizens Bank Park if needed): Phillies (Roy Halladay) vs. Reds (TBD)

ROSTER

PITCHERS (10)

SP Roy Halladay, SP Roy Oswalt, SP Cole Hamels, SP/RHP Joe Blanton, RHP Chad Durbin, RHP Jose Contreras, LHP J.C Romero, LHP Antonio Bastardo, RHP Ryan Madson, RHP Brad Lidge

Those who were left off the roster: SP Kyle Kendrick, SP Vance Worley, RHP David Herndon, RHP Danys Baez, LHP Mike Zagurski

INFIELDERS (8)

1B Ryan Howard, 2B Chase Utley, SS Jimmy Rollins, 3B Placido Polanco, 1B Mike Sweeney, 1B/OF Ross Gload, UTIL Wilson Valdez, UTIL Greg Dobbs

Those who were left off the roster: SS Brian Bocock, 3B Cody Ransom

OUTFIELDERS (5)

LF Raul Ibanez, CF Shane Victorino, RF Jayson Werth, OF Ben Francisco, OF Domonic Brown

Those who were left off the roster: OF John Mayberry Jr.

CATCHERS (2)

C Carlos Ruiz, C Brian Schneider

Those who were left off the roster: C Paul Hoover, C Dane Sardinha

PHILLIES: Projecting The NLDS Roster

Now that the Phillies have not only clinched a playoff birth, but have also locked up yet another NL East crown and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, it’s time to erase the next week of meaningless baseball from our memory and actually focus on what’s important.

Yes folks, would be the Phillies fourth straight appearance in the postseason.

As I said in my last post, I would break down the potential playoff roster once everything was clinched. Well, I am a man of my word, and since the Phillies 2010 playoffopener will officially be played Wed, October 7th with an opponent that will TBD, it looks like it is about time to see how the current 33-man roster will dwindle down to 25 once the NLDS starts.

PITCHERS (11): In this breakdown, I have the Phillies keeping four starters and eight relievers. In reality, with the way the schedule looks as of right now (Games on Wed, Fri, Sun, Mon, Wed.), they will most likely use three starters, in which Doc should be ready to go if a fourth game is needed on 4-days rest. With that said, Joe Blanton will most likely be on the playoff roster as a possible 4th game starter, and if not, a middle-reliever if need be.  With Blanton on the roster, along with Danys Baez, who was signed to a deal in the off-season basically to give this team another veteran hard-throwing RHP for the month of October, that means both David Herndon and Kyle Kendrick will be left off, as their normal spot on the 25-man roster should be fulfilled by a second LHP as you will see below. I also project Cole Hamels to start game 2, so he will have the opportunity to pitch at Citizens Bank Park in front of a home crowd, something that worked quite well with him in the last two previous postseasons.

SP: Roy Halladay (Game 1 Starter)

SP: Cole Hamels (Game 2/3 Starter)

SP: Roy Oswalt (Game 2/3 Starter)

SP: Joe Blanton (Game 4 Starter/Middle Reliever)

RHP: Chad Durbin

RHP: Danys Baez

RHP: Jose Contreras

LHP: J.C Romero

LHP: Antonio Bastardo

Setup: Ryan Madson

Closer: Brad Lidge

CATCHERS (2)

This is pretty simple. In a 5-game series, barring injury concerns, there is no need to have three catchers on the roster. With Carlos “Chooch” Ruiz and primary backup Brian Schneider, fortunately, there aren’t any of those concerns. With that said, look for the Phillies to keep a veteran backstop, that being Paul Hoover, in the bullpen as a nice little security blanket close by if the injury bug bites in the NLDS.

C: Carlos Ruiz

C: Brian Schneider

INFIELDERS (7): Aside from the normal starters and Wilson Valdez, Phillies management has some tough decisions to make on this end. Do they keep an extra outfielder with speed such as Domonic Brown or John Mayberry Jr.  instead of Greg Dobbs, who would usually be a shoe-in to play in the postseason if not for his struggles this season? At this point, in a NLDS 5-game series, I think yes. Also, the mid-season addition of Mike Sweeney limits the need for Dobbs as the combination of he, Vladez, Ross Gload have proven that they are able to play the positions that Dobbs can at an even higher level.

1B: Ryan Howard

2B: Chase Utley

SS: Jimmy Rollins

3B: Placido Polanco

UTIL: Ross Gload

UTIL: Mike Sweeney

UTIL: Wilson Valdez

OUTFIELDERS (5): Another tough one here. Aside from the everyday starters and Ben Francisco, the final outfield spot comes down to three guys. Domonic Brown, John Mayberry Jr., and yet again, Greg Dobbs. As a stated before, Dobbs’s lackluster performance this year really leaves him in a difficult position to make the postseason roster in any capacity. When it comes down to Dobbs and Mayberry, the biggest thing here is need. If the Phillies take Mayberry, that leaves only one possible LH situational hitter (Gload) on the bench. While it does depend on who they play in the NLDS, I don’t see Charlie Manuel and company feeling comfortable with that regardless of the opponent. I just don’t. Along with that rationale, taking Brown along for the postseason ride would go a long way towards giving him the proper experience that would allow him to properly implant Jayson Werth in the Phillies outfield once Werth bolts for the allure of dollar signs come the offseason.

RF: Jayson Werth

CF: Shane Victorino

LF: Raul Ibanez

OF: Ben Francisco

OF: Domonic Brown

Well, that was my stab at it. The two toughest calls here are obviously the battle of the last utility spot between Brown, Mayberry, and Dobbs and the decision of who’s going to be the 11th pitcher between Baez, Kendrick, and Durbin.

While I know the anticipation is killing all of you, the good news is that you only have to wait until next Wed. to find out.

PHILLIES: Recap of September Call-Ups

Fresh off of a split with a double-header against the Florida Marlins and sitting just a half-game back of the NL East leading Atlanta Braves, the Phillies made what looks like the last of their September roster moves (besides Danys Baez coming back up when he is healthy), as it appears that John Mayberry Jr. will likely join the team on Tuesday for the final month of the regular season.

Just to recap this protocol, on September 1st, the MLB rosters are able to expand from the usual 25-man roster to a maximum 40-player roster. This allows players who are currently on the Phillies organizational 40-man roster that are minor leagues for whatever reason to be brought up to major league competition until the end of the regular season without any coinciding roster move.

Including the probable addition of Mayberry and optimism surrounding the health of Baez, that will most likely bring the total to nine, that being the number additional players who will be occupying spots in the Phillies clubhouse until October 3rd (final day of the regular season).

Here is a recap of all the moves and the impact that these players may be able to make down the stretch.

RHP Danys Baez: Baez, a reliever who was once thought of as a potential closer if the Brad Lidge situation did not pan out, has been much of a disappointment since signing a 2-year, 5.5 million dollar contract at the start of the 2010 season. Inconsistent at best and borderline unbearable at worst, there is a reason that the team is not rushing to bring him back to the fold from injury. At the most, he may take up some mop-duty roles if games are out of hand to keep the likes of Ryan Madson, Chad Durbin, J.C Romero, and Jose Contreras fresh for when it really matters.

OF John Mayberry Jr.: While it’s not official yet, it’s widely assumed that Mayberry will be with the Phillies come Tuesday. Say what you want about him (overrated, a 1st rd. bust, etc.) but he really does have value for this team. For one, he absolutely demolishes lefties (.350 this year at Triple-A Lehigh Valley), so pinch-hitting duties and an occasional starting nod to spare Raul Ibanez against those southpaws may be in the cards for Mayberry if he is promoted. Secondly, Mayberry’s 20 stolen bases this year should give him an opportunity to pinch-run late in games. Lastly, his ability to play the two corner OF positions at an above-average level will give manager Charlie Manuel the option of using him during double-switch situations late in games. All things considered, none of this is valid if he is not added to the big league roster.

An interesting subplot to the end of the season could be the usage of Vance Worley.

RHP Vance Worley: Now this is a bit interesting. Worley has made a meteoric jump on MLB prospect lists since going from Double-A Reading to his first ever big league on Monday in the span of 3 months (a time frame that also includes being involved in the Roy Oswalt trade rumors). Yesterday, Worley did nothing to stop his climb to the top of the organizational mountain, going 5 innings and giving up just 2 ER in a spot-start against the Marlins. Just to refresh your memories, the Phillies branch has never been thrilled with the idea of Kyle Kendrick as the teams fifth starter, and I’m going to go out there on a limb and say that Worley’s role on this team for every fifth game will show that. Catch my drift? Even if that is not the case, Worley’s two well above-average big league pitches (FB, Slider) will allow him to have some worth as a primary long reliever in the next few weeks.

LHP Mike Zagurski: This was to be expected. Zagurski spent a month with the Phillies earlier this season when J.C Romero was down, and has showed utter dominance at with Lehigh Valley this year (13 straight scoreless innings at one point). While his transition to the big leagues could be viewed by some as shaky, with the ability to expand the roster, having LHP representation in the bullpen besides Romero and Antonio Bastardo was a must, and Zagurski and the next player I am going to talk about were really the only suitable candidates who could fill that role for this team.

LHP Nate Robertson: The former Tigers/Marlins starting pitcher was signed almost two weeks ago by the Phillies for one specific reason. Flexibility. In the past two seasons, Robertson has pitched in 47 games. He’s started 24 of them. So basically, the guy has just as much experience starting games has he does coming in relief. That had to weigh heavily in the mind of GM Ruben Amaro Jr. when they he, along with other members of the front office, were discussing signing a LHP for the stretch run. Well, his 6.1 innings of scoreless baseball he pitched AGAINST the Phillies as a member of the Marlins on April 18th this season may have had an impact as well.

RHP Scott Mathieson: Probably the move that most fans wanted to see. In July, Phillies fans got a small taste of Mathieson’s near 100 MPH in one game of relief duty. That first big league appearance in three years (two Tommy John surgeries later) may not have gone as well as all those involved would have liked, but a player who can bring a fastball like that to the table when he steps up to the mound is bound to be an valuable asset to a team in the middle of a pennant race, regardless of how much he actually pitches.

1b/ OF Ross Gload: It’s not really fair to lump Gload into the Sepetember “call-up” category, but his presence back in the Phillies clubhouse after a month on the disabled list can is indeed  a welcoming addition to the roster. While a groin injury may have sidelined Gload for the better part of the Phillies recent surge up the standings, he should assume duties as the Phillies primary LH bat along with Domonic Brown off the bench when he is deemed healthy to do so.

INF/OF Greg Dobbs: Dobbs has been designated for assignment twice this season due to his ability to produce at the big league level, so his production and playing time may be limited. However, once upon a time, Dobbs was the league leader in pinch hits, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie Manuel, being the player’s coach that he is, gives Dobbs a couple at-bats against RHP, since he still has shown the ability to hit them even during this stretch of baseball that may mark the end of his career.

C Paul Hoover: Kind of ironic that the first of these call-ups may have been the most insignificant. Hoover, as it stands right now, is buried behind Carlos Ruiz and Brian Schneider on the teams depth chart at his position. This year though, with injuries being a common theme with both of those catchers, Hoover’s worth is to the team is invaluable, whether he is in the clubhouse or being used as the bullpen catcher.  Can’t say I would be comfortable seeing him behind the dish in a meaningful game though.

Notable absences from this list include both Andy Tracy and Cody Ransom.  Before you say “Why?”, take note of a possible and probable reason.

They are not on the current 40-man roster.

So, in order for them to participate in a big league contest, the Phillies would have to take two players off the 40-man roster, enabling them to be picked up on another team via waivers. As of right now, I cannot see the Phillies doing that to anyone besides Dobbs, and he would have to REALLY struggle for them to do so. Truthfully, I don’t see Dobbs getting enough opportunities to struggle any more than he has already, so it’s kind of a mute point.

For right now that is.

PHILLIES: Concern for Ryan Howard

The injury bug has been present all-season long in the Phillies clubhouse.

Want proof?

Chase Utley, Placido Polanco, Brad Lidge, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Madson, Joe Blanton, Carlos Ruiz, Chad Durbin, J.C Romero, Brian Schneider, Antonio Bastardo and the recently departed J.A Happ have all already spent time on the disabled list.  That’s 14 disabled list casualties among the projected 25-man roster for this team at the beginning of the season. For some (Rollins, Victorino, Lidge), their individual stint has even turned into stint(s).

Pluralities are never good when talking about injuries.

However, with Utley and Victorino still on the DL, and Raul Ibanez dealing with a wrist injury, Philadelphia’s injury issues were put under an even greater microscope Sunday after slugger Ryan Howard sprained his ankle sliding into second base.

Ryan Howard's ankle injury is the most recent cause of concern regarding the Phillies.

For the Phillies, losing Howard for a long duration of time may affect the chemistry for this team more than any other injury this season. Bold statement aside, I am not questioning the value of Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins to this team by ranking them under Howard in this comparison of order of importance. They are both all-star caliber players, and they obviously both have very important (and different) roles on this team. With that said, losing a guy who is involved in plating or scoring almost a quarter of the offense’s runs over the course of a season and is one of the biggest threats in baseball with what he can do with one swing of the bat would be absolutely detrimental to the Phillies playoff hopes is in 2010.

The good news?

Nothing’s broken. Howard’s MRI immediately following Sunday’s contest against the Nationals revealed no broken or fractured bones in his ankle, ruling out a possible surgical procedure that would lengthen a DL visit.

The bad news?

This injury, one that was earlier categorized as “a couple day thing” by manager Charlie Manuel on Sunday, may be more severe than we all, including the skipper, originally anticipated. After Howard left Nationals park on Sunday on crutches, it was announced late Monday night by MLB.COM’s Todd Zolecki that instead of traveling with the team to Florida for the Phillies series against the Marlins, Howard would be going to Philadelphia to meet with team doctors about the status of his ankle.

The scenario.

If the doctors conclude that he the condition of the ankle is improving, he’ll fly down to Florida himself, and rejoin the team (maybe not in a active role right away) on Wednesday. On the other side of the spectrum, if the pain and the swollen nature of the injury does not subside substantially (which it hasn’t as of late Monday night) in the next 12-24 hours, then it is very likely that Howard will end up on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Sunday, August 1st.

Sadly, my intuition tells me the ladder might for in store for the Phillies, which if you look at them right now, are a team that can ill-afford the reality of an injury like that to a player like Howard while being in the middle of a pennant race.

PHILLIES: Breakdown of Trade Rumors

Been a pretty crazy last 48 hours if I do say so myself.

Kyle Kendrick gets optioned to Triple-A, Jamie Moyer gets hurt and placed on the disabled list, Phillies fall to seven games back in the NL East, and last but not least, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE.

Well, everything except the last one.

Sort of.

Only three games over .500 at the end of July, the hands of the Phillies organization are reaching towards the panic button, and slowly but surely, reaching to push it (and for good reason). With Kendrick and Moyer out of the fold for presumably the rest of the season, that leaves THREE pitchers (Halladay, Hamels, Blanton) who can be deemed as starters based on their big league careers. As most of you know, a normal major league pitching rotation is usually satisfied with FIVE pitchers.

By means of basic subtraction, that means the Phillies have TWO spots they have to fill.

Unless he is dealt, for the time being it looks like one of those spots belongs to J.A Happ. After pitching three scoreless innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, Happ was abruptly pulled from his start vs. Indianapolis. In his postgame press conference, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said that Happ “will be helping us”. Can’t be too sure what is meant by that, especially when it is said by the Good Ole’ Southern Boy himself, but  for the sake of the post, the likelihood of Happ being on a plane to St. Louis as the Phillies potential starter on Saturday night against Colorado is high.

The second spot, well, that’s not so clear. By process of elimination (No Moyer, No Kendrick, No Carpenter), that spot belongs to..VANCE WORLEY. Not really a household name, so if you don’t know him, that’s okay, you can keep your fan card. With a 9-3 record at Reading this year, Worley being added to the big league roster instead of one of the stockpile of pitchers at Lehigh Valley completes the unusual move of promoting a Double-A pitcher straight to the majors for his big league debut.

Unusual, yes it was, but it does happen. Unfortunately for Worley,  it may not get that far.

When Moyer went down with a “strained” left elbow around 8:45 P.M ET Tuesday, that was most likely the cue for GM Ruben Amaro to get on the phone and begin to take the steps on pulling the trigger on a deal to obtain a top-notch starting pitcher that has been speculated about for the past two months. And low and behold, by the end of the night, talks with the Houston Astros to obtain ace SP Roy Oswalt were considered “hot and heavy” by multiple sources, including ESPN Baseball Insider Jayson Stark and FOX Sports Baseball Columnist Ken Rosenthal.

So is Oswalt to the Phillies a done deal?

Probably not, there are multiple obstacles.

The biggest one: Oswalt demanding that his potential new home pick up his $16 million option for 2012 is probably the biggest one.  When all is said and done, that could be too steep of a price for the Phillies who will also have Joe Blanton ($8.5 Mil in 2012) under contract and will most likely try to resign Cole Hamels after a 2011 season where he will be making $9.5 million.

That’s a lot of money to be invested in three arms that are not relatively fresh by MLB standards.

Plus, it’s not like money grows on trees. Well, unless you are the New York Yankees..

Also, Ruben Amaro and company seem to have a contingency plan if the Oswalt deal falls by the wayside.  The Phillies are reportedly in talks with multiple teams about acquiring Arizona’s Dan Haren, Oakland’s Ben Sheets, or Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie. Truth be told, a deal for any of these pitchers might be more attractive than Oswalt at the end of the day because of a lower asking price and cap-friendly contracts.

With all that has been speculated recently (players at the four main levels of organization have been mentioned) on what the Phillies would have to give up, it’s almost impossible to predict who could be in the deal when a deal is done (and it will be done). However, what we do know is that it is going to take a collection of players, most likely three or four in total, and lastly, another team (Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox have been said to be interested) to help facilitate a trade that would bring Roy Oswalt (or Dan Haren) and prospects to Philadelphia. All things considered, I still think they are leaning towards that kind of blockbuster deal rather than a one-year rental on Sheets, Guthrie, or Jake Westbrook.

With that said, here’s the breakdown of who has been mentioned and how they factor into a possible trade for a top-notch starter.

WHAT THE PHILLIES WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE TO GIVE UP

Possibly 1 Everyday Big Leaguer: Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez

1 or 2 Guys who are MLB Ready (or close): J.A Happ, Kyle Kendrick, Scott Mathieson, Antonio Bastardo, Mike Zagurski, Drew Carpenter, John Mayberry Jr., Joe Savery, Vance Worley

1 Top Prospect: Jared Cosart, Jonathan Singleton, Brody Colvin, Anthony Gose, Phillipe Aumont, Matthew Way

One of the players who is noticeably absent from that breakdown is Domonic Brown. The rationale there is if the Phillies didn’t include him for deals to obtain Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay, then they won’t include him on a deal for any of these available pitchers, especially since his stock has only grown since Philadelphia pulled off a their last blockbuster this offseason.

Now, it’s quite possible that Brown will be moved. Not denying that. However, I’m going to go out there on a limb and say that it will be restricted to just the Phillies clubhouse, where he will prepare to make his big league debut for the organization that has brought him up through the ranks over the last three years.

Even with this estimate though, and the Brown prediction, so many others are fair game. There are 100+ players within the Phillies organization, and maybe 10 have the “untouchable” label that is so difficult to attain.

Then again, Phillies prospect Kyle Drabek was considered “untouchable” this time last year.

And look what happened to him.

Updates will be given throughout the night..

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

6:30 PM WED: As reported by Phillies MLB.COM Beat Writer Todd Zolecki, Vance Worley was added as an extra long-reliever, much like Drew Carpenter’s recent 24-hour role with the Phillies. Philadelphia now has FOUR starters (Halladay, Hamels, Blanton, and Happ when he’s added) on their roster. No starter announced for Saturday yet, which was Kendrick’s spot.

11:45 PM WED: Phillies scouts are apparently present for Dan Haren’s start tonight. Not surprising, since CSN’s Jim Salisbury believes the Phillies may stick with what they have in terms if pitching if they can’t get Haren or Roy Oswalt. I still think they get one of the two mentioned, but if that is impossible, there is NO WAY they stand pat. In fact, I’m going to go further. Here are two other names who have popped up in trade rumors because of their alleged availability. Cleveland’s Fausto Carmona and Arizona’s Edwin Jackson.

PHILLIES: Injury Updates and more..

Besides arguably the Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies are likely the most injury-plagued team in all of baseball. The number is up to seven on the disabled list, with one other (Brian Schnieder) missing time without being on the DL due to an injury. Instead of hearing names such as Utley, Polanco, and Ruiz in the regular lineup, the scoreboard announcers are now resigned to read names such as Dobbs, Valdez, and Sardinha on a daily basis.

Scary thought.

But when will this nightmare end?

INJURY REPORT

Chase Utley: Besides a win against the Braves on Monday night, there was other good news to come out of Citizens Bank Park. Heard from for the first time since he underwent surgery on his thumb five days ago, Utley said he hopes to be back in 6 weeks. 6 WEEKS! That’s a breath of fresh air considering doctors, baseball insiders, and even the team trainer were saying that Utley wouldn’t see the diamond until at least the beginning of September. I’m not sure if Utley is accurate, but if you average the two, meaning you get Utley back HEALTHY between the middle of August and the 1st of September, consider it a success.

Placido Polanco: Not much to report on the Polanco front. On Thursday, team trainer Scott Sheridan reported that Polanco would miss 3-4 weeks due to his inflamed elbow, and that seems to be the accurate time table. Polanco will rest for at least another couple days, and will start a rehabilitation program into the AS break. If all goes well, Polanco should be back within a couple days after the All-Star Game on July 13th.

Ryan Madson: After being sidelined the last two months for breaking a toe while kicking a chair in frustration, Ryan Madson might actually be ready to come back and contribute at the big league level. He is clearly on the last legs of his rehab, in which he is slated to throw two straight nights at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. One night of that rehab is over and done with, and even though the results weren’t great to say the least (2/3 IP, 1 ER, 2 BB), if all goes according to plan (meaning his surgically repaired toe does not fall off) Tuesday night, he should be activated to the Phillies roster by this weekend.

J.A Happ: After six rehab appearances in three minor league levels, Happ finally appears to be finally getting back to full strength. In his last rehabilitation appearance at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Sunday, Happ’s velocity sat in the low 90′s, and his first three innings pitched were perfect. The problem is that his last two innings (4 ER), most certainly were not. With Happ, the question is not whether he is healthy again, the question is whether his stuff is good enough right now to get out big league hitters. While Happ is confident in his stuff, Charlie Manuel and the rest of the Phillies front office brass think otherwise. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Happ was activated from the DL on Tuesday, and then optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Carlos Ruiz: Ruiz looked like he was a couple days from returning, and then it was reported that he was still feeling symptoms from the concussion he endured after getting hit in the back of the head by a bat swung by Jason Kubel of the Twins. Head injuries are tricky, especially when it involves catchers, who have call all nine innings during these dog days of summer with 10 pounds of extra equipment on. Don’t count on seeing Chooch until AT LEAST the end of the All-Star break.

Chad Durbin & Antonio Bastardo: There is a lot of the unknown surrounding these two members of the bullpen that are out of action. Durbin (hamstring) and Bastardo (left elbow) are both on the 15-day DL with injuries that will take much longer than 15 days to cure. Getting Ryan Madson back will help people forget about Durbin, but Mike Zagurski’s inconsistent performance as a member of the Phillies bullpen is making Bastardo’s presence at a situational lefty missed.

OTHER NOTES

: The question still lingers. Will the Phillies make a trade for an infielder to account for injures to Utley and Polanco? Time is winding down a little bit, but I still think they make a deal. The two most likely candidates still have to be Baltimore’s Ty Wigginton and Seattle’s Jose Lopez because of their ability to play both INF positions, but Arizona’s Kelly Johnson may be the surprise choice because Arizona has trade needs at positions that the Phillies have alot of depth in (Remember, the Diamondbacks were interested in Kyle Kendrick at one point last year).

: In the past, I know I’ve said that people should be patient with Phillies #1 overall prospect Domonic Brown. My original philosophy is becoming quite difficult. In 12 games since being called up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Brown is absolutely obliterating the competition. As the proud owner of a stat-line that reads “.405 BA, 4 HR, 11 RBI’s”, he is surely creating a buzz that Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth can’t be too comfortable about.  It’s not just the stats. After watching him live the past six games and seeing his 400+ ft. bombs in person, the kid is THAT good. It should be interesting to see if the Phillies listen to offers for Jayson Werth at the deadline (Raul Ibanez won’t have much of a trade value due to his age, contractual issues, and most importantly, his recent lack of prouduction) .

Would I?

In one word, yes. As much as the Phillies and their fans love Werth, you have to at least take the time to listen to offers with Domonic Brown assauting minor league pitching  just an hour away and one level below.

PHILLIES: Lidge Back to the D.L, J-Roll Returns?

Overshadowed by the Flyers making history in their series over the Boston Bruins, the Phillies have been playing some pretty good baseball over the time span that the Orange and Black became the third team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit.

With a 22-13 overall record, the Phillies are a season-best nine games over .500, and have a three game lead in the NL East over the surprising Washington Nationals. While the second team in that equation is a surprising to say the least, I can’t say the Phillies status as being at the top of the pact is. Since May 30th of last season, there have only been three days that the Phillies have not been at the top of the divisional standings during the regular season.

Talk about dominance.

However, not all is well when it comes to the team that is about to return to Citizens Bank Park on Monday for a seven-game homestand.

From Jimmy Rollins to J.A Happ, the Phillies have been decimated with injuries this season often to say the least. On Saturday though, the Phillies injury bug reached new heights, as the organization made the move to send there first player in the 2010 season to make a return stint to the DL. After being out of action for five days because of what the Phillies would call “elbow discomfort”,  much maligned closer Brad Lidge was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to his last appearance on May 10th, his second trip to the disabled list in as many months.

A return to the DL has become a reality for "Lights Out" Lidge

Tough break for big Brad. Since his return from off-season elbow surgery at the end of April, Lidge was pretty effective in his four appearances this season, posting a 2.70 ERA and one save.  Most importantly though, with his increased velocity, he looked more like the Brad Lidge of 2008 than the Brad Lidge of 2009. While that was great to see, this disabled list stint will obviously stunt the confidence growth that Lidge was gaining in every single appearance, which is obviously not a good sign considering “confidence” is integral to the success of most closers in professional baseball. Just ask Byung-Hyun Kim (yes, I know, that is a name from the past).

With this newest obstacle to overcome, the Phillies are in the process of shuffling around the bullpen once again. Lidge will join fellow closer candidate Ryan Madson on the disabled list, leaving set-up man and former starter Jose Contreras as player most likely to finish out games for the Phillies. As Contreras will move into the closer role (has filled that role the last three games), Danys Baez will serve as the 8th inning man, and Chad Durbin will serve as the primary long reliever. To fill the roster spot left by Lidge, Phillies brought up Antonio Bastardo from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, who has actually has sub 2.00 ERA (1.69) in 13 appearances with Philadelphia this season. If Contreras fails, or Lidge ends up on the DL for more than 15 days, look for the Phillies to also to bring up Scott Mathieson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Mathieson, a former big leaguer who seems to have fully recovered from two Tommy John surgeries, is a perfect 5 for 5 in save opportunities (Pigs haven’t been in many situations for Mathieson to close out games lately) this season with a stunning 0.54 ERA.

While Mathieson may be big league ready, lets hope it doesn’t get far enough where he has to prove that just yet.

OTHER NOTES

: Jimmy Rollins may be back in a Phillies uniform before the conclusion of this coming homestand, which ends May 23rd. Huge boost to the offense clearly. However,  if Shane Victorino keeps on hitting like this out of the leadoff spot ( .318, 3 HR, 10 RBI’s in the last 10 games), could the Phillies possibly place Rollins somewhere else in the order when he comes back?

: Speaking of Shane Victorino, who would of thought that on May 16th, he would lead the Phillies in RBI’s and would be second on the team in HR’s? Crazy.

:  Looks like #1 Phillies prospect Dominic Brown is starting to come alive. 6 HR’s in 11 games. That’s going to generate some buzz, especially around July 31st (MLB Trade Deadline).

: Former Phillies fan favorite (for some) Pat Burrell was designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.  How the mighty have fallen..

For a guy who averaged 30 HR’s for his last four seasons in Philadelphia, he’s really struggling at the plate (.202 BA with the Rays this year). . However, for a figure around league minimum,  I’d sign him to sit on the Phillies bench. Even though he wouldn’t do much for the team at the plate or in the field ( Pat the Bat if you remember was never known for his fielding), bringing him back to the City of Brotherly Love would for sure make a so-far tame season for the Phillies a little bit more exciting for a variety of reasons.

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UPDATED (Sunday 11:07 PM)

Looks like Jimmy Rollins has a new clean bill of health, or will shortly. The former MVP and Phillies starting SS is heading back to Philadelphia Sunday night after his rehab stint with Single-A Clearwater was deemed complete. While he may not be activated for the start of the 7-game homestand (Monday against the Pirates), it looks like J-Roll’s return to the club will be sooner rather than later. If Rollins is not activated right away, a likely possibility is him making one more rehab appearance in Lehigh Valley (their homestand starts Tuesday), and if that goes well, J-Roll’s return to Citizens Bank Park will be on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. If he is activated right away, I am assuming he will pick up right where he left off, playing SS and hitting leadoff when the Phillies take the field on Monday, even though Shane Victorino has been hitting at a torrid pace out of the leadoff spot lately (look at the stats above).

Call me crazy, but I would say there is a 50/50 shot right now J-Roll plays on Monday. I am no betting expert, but I just thought I’d throw it out there..

For more news on J-Roll, read David Murphy’s “High Cheese” blog.

PHILLIES: Happ to DL, Romero Activated

A couple Phillies notes in a weekend where the Flyers and the Eagles took the sports spotlight in Philadelphia.

J.A Happ, as expected, was placed on the 15-day DL with some inflammation in his pitching elbow. While the concern as of this point is minimal, note that Happ has now had a stint on the DL because of some sort of problem in his pitching arm in each of the first three years in the big leagues. Happ’s absence will make it two starters now on the disabled list. The other, Joe Blanton, has been on the DL since the start of the season, but is making progress to the point where he may be back by the beginning of May (May 3rd would be his spot in the rotation). With now Happ and Blanton out of action, Kyle Kendrick’s role will remain as a starter, and the Phillies will use a combination of converted-starter Nelson Figueroa, last year’s ultimate spot starter Antonio Bastardo, and possibly Andrew Carpenter to fill out the rotation.

Just wondering, where is Pedro Martinez right now?

A welcoming addition to the Phillies pen'

As another player bites the dust when it comes to the injury bug, the Phillies actually got a player back in the big league mix this weekend, as J.C Romero was activated to the 25-man roster. Although he has been injury plagued (and allegedly steroid-plagued, although I’m not buying it) for the past two seasons, getting Romero back is still obviously a HUGE upgrade for the Phillies bullpen, as he has been the best left-handed reliever for the Phillies in recent memory. As it stands now, Romero will now join Antonio Bastardo as the second lefty in the bullpen, and will also get his fair share of opportunities as an eighth inning guy, joining Danys Baez and Jose Contreras in that role.

One other note in regards to the roster, Romero coming back right means nothing in regards to a player being sent down (because of the whole injury situation). However, to look into the future a bit, when Blanton or Happ end up coming back, or whoever comes back first, look for David Herndon to be the one who possibly gets the proverbial ax from the big league roster.

PHILLIES: J-Roll to the DL, Other Injury Updates, Pitching Struggles

As stated in the last post, it wasn’t a question of if Jimmy Rollins was going to be placed on the 15-day D.L with a strained calf. It was when it was going to happen.

The answer?

Rollins will spend at least 15 days on the bench due to a strained right calf

The Phillies placed Rollins in the disabled list retroactive to April 13th, making him eligible to on April 30th against, who else, but the Mets. While he is only slated for a two week D.L stint, it has been rumored that this calf injury may take closer to a month to heal, so don’t expect J-Roll to come back until at least the first week in May. In the mean time, utility infielder Juan Castro will start in his place, and the Phillies have already called up Wilson Valdez from Triple-A Lehigh Valley for insurance.

Rollins’s injury just adds to the list of injured Phillies players just two weeks into the season. While Rollins and Jayson Werth have battled the injury bug when it comes to position players, the majority of the damage has been done to the pitching staff. Brad Lidge, Joe Blanton and J.C Romero have all been on the D.L since the start of the season, and it appears that J.A Happ now may miss his next start due to forearm soreness, an injury that bothered him at point of his rookie season last year.  If Happ does end up missing his next star, my guess is that the Phillies will go with a four man rotation, or have Andrew Carpenter brought up from Lehigh Valley to fill that void. In terms of the return of the walking wounded, a return for Blanton is nowhere in sight, while Lidge and Romero are each “progressing” when it comes to their respective rehab processes.

I put “progressing” in quotes because it depends what you call progress. While Romero is already up at Lehigh Valley and may be back by the end of the week, Lidge has been inconsistent in his first two rehab appearances, showing a live arm (fastball clocked at 91 mph and a slider in the mid-high 80′s) but also a lack of production (gave up four runs in an innings work last week while rehabbing at Single-A Clearwater). It may be a week or two, but when Lidge is back in a Phillies uniform, he will most likely take the closers spot from Ryan Madson, who is a perfect 3 for 3 in save opportunities.

But that’s a discussion for another day.

Even if Lidge comes back nowhere close to his 2008 form, I still have to say that it will be a boost to the Phillies pitching staff when he joins the active roster.  Outside of Happ, Madson, Jose Contreras, Chad Durbin, Cole Hamels of sorts (2-0, 5.06 ERA), and of course Roy Halladay, the pitching has been suspect to say the least. While Nelson Figueroa and Danys Baez have been inconsistent (7.71 ERA for Baez) and Antonio Bastardo has been productive but has had some issues with his control (1 BB per inning), both David Herndon and Kyle Kendrick struggled mightily adjusting to life in the big leagues, and Jamie Moyer has had difficulty regaining his strength after an off-season of surgeries to repair a torn groin. Whether Lidge will succeed or not is another question, but just getting that familiar, veteran face in the bullpen, someone who has saved 41 straight games at one point of his career, will undoubtably send some sort of positive shockwaves through the clubhouse, especially for those who have been struggling.

One last note.

If the Happ injury lingers, and the status of Joe Blanton remains to be unknown, look for the Pedro Martinez rumors to heat up.

Remember, it wasn’t so long ago that Pedro when the Phillies names Martinez the #2 starter for the 2009 World Series.