Fantasy Baseball: Are Phillies’ Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge Worth Owning?

The Philadelphia Phillies have been reunited with pitchers Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge after stints on the disabled list, but should you play either of them in your fantasy baseball league?

Oswalt made his first start since coming back against the San Francisco Giants, allowing only three earned runs in six innings pitched. These aren’t great numbers, but he is still working his way back.

Lidge, on the other hand, has pitched in seven games since July 25, allowing only one earned run. He has an ERA of 1.67 and five strikeouts in his 5.1 innings pitched, which are great numbers.

Many fantasy owners are wondering whether or not they should take a chance on these two since they are still getting back into the swing of things.

Fantasy owners are certainly willing to add the two to their rosters, with Lidge being the No. 9 most added pitcher in the last week, being added in 9.2 percent of ESPN leagues, and Oswalt being No. 14, being added in 6.9 percent of leagues.

However, a closer look at the numbers for these two shows that neither is to be trusted when it comes down to it.

Oswalt may have only allowed three earned runs, but he allowed 12 hits and two walks in his six innings. Oswalt was consistently letting runners get on base, and his WHIP of 2.33 is alarming to say the least.

Oswalt only struck out four batters, which shows that he was allowing a lot of solid contact throughout the course of the game. While allowing contact to a team with a potent offense can be acceptable, he was facing the Giants, who have scored the fewest runs in the National League (399), and are one of only two teams to have fewer than 400 runs scored.

Oswalt used to be an ace, but he is getting older, and injury problems make him seem older than 33. Despite being owned in 95.6 percent of leagues, with his best days behind him, Oswalt needs to be avoided. Try to trade him immediately if he makes a good start over the next week.

Lidge has posted good numbers so far. As I mentioned before, his 1.67 ERA and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched is impressive, but it does not tell the whole story.

Lidge has allowed five walks in 5.1 innings pitched. Walks ended up hurting him in 2009 and 2010, after going a perfect 48-for-48 in save opportunities in 2008. Lidge needs to have good control if he wants to be effective, and he still needs to attain it this season.

Another factor that will hold Lidge back is his pitch count. Lidge needs to be well-rested to be effective, but he can’t do that while throwing 92 pitches in 5.1 innings. Lidge is averaging almost 18 pitches per inning, and that spells trouble.

Lidge could still have a good month left in him this season, but that’s only if he can improve his control and lower his pitch count. If you are going to hold onto either of these guys it should be Lidge, and he is available in 70.5 percent of leagues.

The Phillies have been joined by their pitchers once more, but you should not have your fantasy team be joined by them. Lidge may prove to be a viable option in a deeper league, but Oswalt should be avoided.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com