Roy Halladay Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks with Strained Lat Muscle

Uh oh.

The Philadelphia Phillies have placed ace Roy Halladay on the 15-day disabled list with a strained lat muscle in his pitching shoulder, reports Jayson Stark.

He is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

It is Halladay’s first trip to the DL since 2009 (groin) and first arm-related DL trip since 2004 (shoulder).

Halladay had clearly been struggling so far this season. He owns a 3.98 ERA through 11 starts, but his 4-5 record leaves much to be desired.

He’s tossed a league-leading 72.1 innings, but he’s struck out just 56 batters.

His 4.00 SO/BB ratio is his lowest rate since 2008.

This trip to the disabled list should be enough to get Halladay back on track, as there are currently no reports of any structural damage.

The Phillies, who are now in a last-place tie with the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, are still two games over .500 and just four games back in the division.

Halladay’s injury doesn’t just impact the well being of the team in the short-term—the long-term could be effected as well.

If this DL stint really hurts the club, then general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. could look to deal Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino to stock up his farm system.

For now, the Phillies will have to deal with the loss of their ace.

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Philadelphia Phillies: When Chase Utley Returns, What Will Galvis’ Role Be?

With an injury depleted team, the Philadelphia Phillies have had one very pleasant surprise early this season, rookie Freddy Galvis. When Galvis was moved to second base following Chase Utley‘s injury, many criticized the move.

His defense has been spectacular, but that was never the main question. He was said to be a quadruple-A player: too developed for the minors but not ready for major league pitching.

Some of the concerns with Galvis such as his plate discipline have shown. He is hitting .236 with only six walks. What has been unexpected is the “pop” in his bat. Galvis leads the Phillies in doubles with 13, and is fourth on the team with 23 RBI.

Now, when Chase Utley returns from the DL, where does Galvis fit into the Phillies lineup?

Just by looking at the early season stats, it would be easy to say Galvis should start at shortstop over Jimmy Rollins.

However, there are 33 million reasons why that won’t happen.

Galvis leads Rollins in every hitting category besides walks, hits and OBP. Jimmy’s stats may also be deceiving because of his 192 AB to Galvis’ 165.

Galvis’ defense and recently discovered power is too valuable to the Phillies lineup to keep him on the bench. Rollins will be the starting shortstop, but with his age he cannot play everyday. His range decreases with age, as Galvis’ will only increase as he matures.

Charlie Manuel has no choice but to keep him in the lineup consistently, especially with the love he has endured from the Philly Phaithful. It takes many years for some players to win over the hard-nosed Philadelphia fans. Galvis has managed to become a fan favorite in just a quarter of a season. Alongside the usual “Chooch” chants, “Freddy” has became a very popular chant at Citizens Bank Park.

Galvis will be an essential backup, spelling both Utley and Rollins, both of whom are not fit for playing everyday. As the season progresses, Galvis will mature as a player and continue to see the field.

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MLB Draft 2012: Ranking Top 20 Draft Steals in Philadelphia Phillies History

As an organization, the Philadelphia Phillies haven’t had much success with the amateur draft.

There are plenty of reasons for that little factoid, but none of them are overly important. The fact of the matter is that, throughout this club’s history, when it came time to show some results through the draft, they’ve had far more failures than successes.

But that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been a few good stories buried in that landfill that is a draft history.

The Phillies have had their fair share of “steals” in the draft over the course of time, and for the sake of this slideshow, we’ll be defining a “steal” in this manner.

A “steal” is a player that you never thought would wind up with your organization. It is a player that has had a certain degree of success at the MLB level, but was passed over by other teams for some reason or another. They’ve had to overcome adversity to excel, but if you had to go back and re-draft certain years, they’d be right at the top.

That’s a “steal” in the draft, and the Phillies have had a couple of those, despite their inefficiencies.

Follow @Greg_Pinto

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NL Best of the Night: Ty Wigginton Racks Up 6 RBI in Phillies 8-4 Win over Mets

Isn’t the Fourth of July when all the fireworks are supposed to take place? Plenty of bats exploded for Memorial Day throughout MLB.

The Colorado Rockies‘ Dexter Fowler went 4-for-4 with three RBI, a home run and a triple in the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Houston Astros. (Fowler went 7-for-12 in the two games.) Chase Headley of the San Diego Padres had a 4-for-5 holiday with two homers and three RBI.

Of course, someone had to light those firecrackers and several pitchers got shelled on Monday. Luke Gregorson of the Padres gave up three runs and four hits in just 2/3rd of an inning. Manny Acosta also allowed three runs and four hits, but in 1/3rd of an inning for the New York Mets. Teammate Jonathon Niese walked five batters. And the Atlanta Braves‘ Tommy Hanson was roughed up for six runs and eight hits in just 3 1/3 innings.

But one guy still managed to stand out from those great and terrible performances. Ty Wigginton drove in six runs for the Philadelphia Phillies in their 8-4 win over the Mets on Monday. Playing first base, Wigginton batted 3-for-3 with a three-run homer and two walks. That gave Cole Hamels all the run support he needed on a day he wasn’t at his sharpest.

The six RBI was a career-high total for Wigginton. The 11-year veteran is in his first year with the Phillies and has provided a decent replacement at first base for the injured Ryan Howard. As a first baseman this season, Wigginton is batting .280/352/.415 with three homers and 12 RBI. Monday’s game pushed Wigginton’s OPS back over .700 for the first time in his past 10 games.

“He sure did have a big day,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said about Wigginton after the game. “He did the hittin’ for us.”

The Phillies have struggled for offense all season long, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they’ve won four of their past five games while scoring almost seven runs per contest. During that stretch, Wigginton has two three-hit games, slugging a homer in each one.

In the other three games, however, Wigginton went a combined 0-for-12. So he’s almost literally hit or miss right now. Fortunately for the Phillies, when those hits come, they’ve been coming in bunches. 

 

Follow @iancass on Twitter

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Philadelphia Phillies: 10 Reasons Team Need Not Panic After Slow Start

The Philadelphia Phillies’ season has been like a real life version of the movie The Hangover so far.  It’s featured a little bit of everything, and we’re not quite sure how we got here.

Through 50 games the Phillies are 26-24.  Not terrible, but not the same pace that saw the team win a franchise record 102 games last season.

And with a payroll over $170 million, a record that has been hovering near the .500 mark and the bottom of the National League East may not be what was expected by this point in the season.

However, with the circumstances that the team has faced this season, a record that is just over .500 through 50 games may be just what the Phils need in order to remain within striking distance in the NL East.

With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley working their way back from injuries, the Phillies have a chance to receive midseason upgrades that not only affect the right side of their infield, but are also two key pieces of their lineup.

While this season has not gotten off to the type of start that was hoped for following a 102-win season last year, reasons for optimism still exist in a season that has already featured a little bit of everything.

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MLB Rumors: Why Roy Oswalt Would Be Perfect Signing for Philadelphia Phillies

 

After Roy Oswalt’s 2011 season was derailed by back injuries, it was unclear whether he would make a return to the majors. Now, his price tag of $7.5 million is keeping teams away, and it seems as though we won’t see him until probably July.

He has been interested in several teams that are near his home in Weir, Mississippi, although he has worked out for teams as far away as the Red Sox and the Phillies.

With Halladay’s sudden departure due to shoulder tenderness, one may wonder whether the Phillies will seek to re-sign Oswalt to fill the hole suddenly created in their rotation.

With Neftali Feliz being place on the DL with a sprained elbow ligament, the Rangers seem ready to negotiate with Oswalt, but have not been able to find him a spot in their rotation. Given this apparent roadblock, the Phillies need to intercede and sign him. Here’s why:

 

Oswalt is Still an Elite Pitcher

Ever since his days with the Astros, Oswalt has thrown hard and worked fast between pitches. His fastball is in the low to mid-90s, and he is aggressive on the mound, challenging hitters high in the zone. 

He was not throwing as hard in Philly as he was in Houston, but he nonetheless helped anchor the Phillies’ starting rotation and was one of several aces on that staff. Yes, he averaged a career-low six strikeouts per game last season in Philadelphia, but despite that drop in strikeouts, he was still a formidable pitcher.

Given Halladay’s sudden departure due to shoulder soreness, the Phillies need to sign Oswalt fast to ensure that they don’t get left behind the other members of the NL East. He would work well with the Phillies, and he would provide just enough of an edge for them to climb out of last in the division’s standings.

 

Oswalt’s Price is Negotiable

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, Oswalt declined large contracts from the Detroit Tigers during the winter and told the Red Sox he wasn’t interested. He had hoped the Rangers and the Cardinals would display some interest. His steep price tag of $7.5 million is keeping those teams away, though. For half a season of work and potential questions regarding his health, most teams are unwilling to pay full price.

If the Phillies can offer him something along the lines of maybe $1.5-2 million for the rest of this season, they could add a large amount stability to their rotation, as well provide an incentive for Oswalt to pitch well. And if he can amass some good numbers in the next half of the season, he will most likely be able to enter negotiations for a contract that is more lucrative.

At this point, the man just wants to pitch.

The Phillies can make a run for the NL East crown. They have the advantage and need to exercise it. 

 

The NL East is the Right Division for Oswalt

Despite his time away from the game, he will make an immediate impact in the NL East. Even though the Phillies are in last place, they still have a winning record (25-24) and are only five games behind the first-place Washington Nationals (29-18).

Halladay, despite his departure in Sunday’s game, leads the National League with an ERA of 3.56. Oswalt can definitely create similar numbers for now and patch up the hole in the rotation until team doctors can diagnose the severity of Halladay’s injury.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley Should Be Traded

Philadelphia Phillies fans love Chase Utley. He is the exact type of player that Philadelphia sports fans want to represent their teams. Utley is obviously very talented, always gives it his all and he’s a flat-out winner.

Unfortunately, it is in the best interest of the Phillies organization to move their Hall of Fame bound second baseman. 

Before I hear “Rabble! Rabble! Rabble!” Hear me out.

Believe me, Utley is and has always been one of my favorite players. Beyond the reasons mentioned above, Philadelphians, myself included, love No. 26 because he’s old school, tough as nails and loves getting dirty.

But despite all of the bad problems Philadelphia has been dealing with recently, there seems to be at least one good problem that the Phillies have: Freddy Galvis is playing exceptional baseball.

As I mentioned in my previous Phillies article, the team will have some big decisions to make when Utley is healthy and ready to play on a regular basis.

I have received a number of comments on that article with some ideas on how to keep Freddy Galvis with the Phillies, as opposed to sending him to play in the minors.

The general consensus seems to be that Phillies fans don’t want to see Galvis get demoted. My poll results confirm this as well. As of this morning, the poll indicated that 89.5 percent of voters don’t think the rookie should be sent to Triple-A upon Utley’s return.

A lot could be inferred from this data. What is undeniable in looking at the results is that Freddy Galvis is a very popular man in Philadelphia.

But so too is Chase Utley. You know the rugged workhorse is going to receive a loud and heartfelt ovation when he digs into the box for the first time at Citizens Bank Park this season.

But the question is, what lineup should the Phillies trot out every game to be the best team? We have to look at both the present (this season) and the future.

The future is clearly Freddy Galvis, whether that is at shortstop or second base. He’s already shown he can be an amazing fielder at both middle infield positions. Philadelphia has the flexibility to play him regularly at either. If Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco are all healthy, Galvis will likely head to Lehigh Valley.

To address the above question, I believe that the Phillies are best suited in both the short and long term to find a way to play the Venezuelan every day.

Unfortunately, that means that one of the three veterans would have to be moved.

Let me break down each of them and their situations. 

Jimmy Rollins is the face of the franchise. Oft compared to Derek Jeter and his situation in New York, J-Roll is a Phillie through and through. My colleague, Ben Larivee, argues that they are not the same in this article, but the fact of the matter is that the odds that the Phillies trade Rollins are next to nothing. 

Rollins is owed $11 million per year (a popular number for Jimmy) through the 2015 season, when he will be 36 years-old. Even if the Phillies did want to move him, I’m not sure any team would be willing to take on that contract for a guy of his age.

I’ve heard a number of Phillies fans call for Placido Polanco to be the one who is moved. Polly is making $6.25 million this season and has a mutual option for $5.5 million for 2013. His contract is definitely favorable, and there’s no doubt that he would be a valuable piece to any club. But he turns 37 in October.

Philadelphia wouldn’t get too much in return for Polanco. Moving him would be done simply to open up a spot for Galvis. But then the question is, who plays third?

I don’t think Charlie Manuel or Philadelphia’s front office want to move Galvis to third, and they certainly wouldn’t want him to learn the position on the fly in the middle of the season. On a sidenote, I think the Phillies would be even less inclined to move him to left field, another notion I’ve heard thrown around.

I’ve also received suggestions that Utley play third or left field. However, he would be a defensive liability, especially at the hot corner. Though he’s a team player, I’m not even sure he would agree to make such a move. 

Utley has played 1,038 games at second base and a microscopic 26 at first base. We all know who is holding down the fort at first for the next century. He’s never played any other position in his nine year career.

Now to the idea of moving Mr. Utley.

Chase Utley is under contract through the 2013 season, making $15 million a year. Not on the cheap. He’s also 33 years-old. In a trade involving Utley, the Phillies would likely need to eat some of his salary. But the fact that he is secured through this season and the next improves his trade value. 

The key to his total value, though, is unquestionably his health. Utley would have to prove that he is healthy and still effective offensively. There’s no doubt that he is one of the best hitting second basemen in the game when 100 percent, but that is a big question mark.

If he comes back and puts up solid numbers to start, teams would definitely be interested if they knew Utley was available.

Given his knee issues, Utley would have the most trade value to a team in the American League, where he would prolong his career by getting time as—or becoming—a Designated Hitter.

A plethora of American League clubs could be suitors for Utley at the trade deadline.

If Philadelphia were able to get prospects, a left fielder and/or relief help in return for Utley, they would solve their cluster in the infield and keep Freddy Galvis in the majors, get younger and free up salary to potentially improve in other areas of need.

I know it’s controversial. I know it would be a huge change, but as hard as it would be to stomach, this is what this Phillies team needs.

Utley is one heck of a baseball player, and every organization would want him to sport their uniform. But he would bring back the most in return and allow that young stud with the baby face to continue to contribute and really develop.

It hurts me to say it, but the Phillies should trade Chase Utley.

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MLB Free Agency: Re-Signing Roy Oswalt Has No Downside for Philadelphia Phillies

Roy Oswalt will have his say in baseball’s pennant race soon. 

The free-agent starter is being pursued most vigilantly by the Cardinals, Red Sox, Rangers, Orioles, and his former team, the Phillies, according to reports.  While the fortunes of these clubs would be affected by his addition to varying degrees, the fact remains that he is a sought after commodity who will play a role down the stretch for a contender.

While GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has downplayed his team’s need—and subsequently, their interest—the fact remains that starting pitching depth could develop into an issue in Philadelphia.  When a 3-time All-Star says he is interested, it’s tough not to consider.

With Vance Worley sidelined, Kyle Kendrick has stepped in as a spot starter for the second time this season.  While a complete game shutout on Saturday may have quelled concerns about his ability to start in a pinch, he is still Kyle Kendrick. 

And if another starter were to go down, who’s next in line?

Amaro doesn’t even know. 

It might be Tyler Cloyd, but he’s made only six starts above Double-A.  Dave Bush and Scott Elarton are both pitching well in Lehigh Valley, but between the two, they’ve made only three Major League starts since 2010.

Needless to say, the in-house options are inferior to the addition of the 2005 World Series MVP. 

But if it’s depth were talking about, what would they do with the starters when everyone’s healthy?  A six-man rotation doesn’t make sense when you have the power and durability at the front of the rotation that Philadelphia does.

With Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Vance Worley, and Roy Oswalt as the starting five, Joe Blanton would become expendable, as he has seemingly been for three seasons.  He could become the long man in the bullpen—bumping Kendrick to Lehigh Valley, perhaps—or he could become trade bait.

Blanton has pitched well enough this season to regain some of the value he lost through the injury-plagued 2011 campaign.  Teams like Boston and Baltimore could absolutely have interest in the former first round pick—he could even be the piece that brings in Kevin Youkilis.

Besides adding depth to the starting pitching, and perhaps other areas if Blanton ceases to have a use on the club, Oswalt is also a proven down-the-stretch performer.  His presence on the team will do nothing but help the team’s playoff chances.

You don’t have to think too far to remember the impact Oswalt had the last time the Phillies acquired him mid-season (he went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 12 starts after the 2010 trading deadline, in case you forgot).

The owner of 159 wins and a 3.21 ERA, The Wizard of Os saves his best baseball for the playoff race.  From August to October, he is 68-20 with a 2.72 ERA.  Finding guys with late-season numbers that good are really hard to find. 

All of this is why Amaro’s comments perplex me.  When you’re courting a top-flight free agent—like Oswalt—what possible good could downplaying your interest have? 

His asking price isn’t going to go down because he is questioning his own value.  Boston, Baltimore, Texas, and St. Louis won’t stop driving up the number.  In the end, while opening up the checkbook won’t necessarily secure the vet, you’re still going to have to pay him.

If healthy, Oswalt has the chance to be a big factor in deciding the way the standings look after 162 games.  If the Phils can find the cash in their bankroll, it could go a long way towards getting them back to where they want to be.

 

Follow Ben on Twitter for more Phillies stuff @Ben_Larivee

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Philadelphia Phillies: How to Handle Freddy Galvis Upon Chase Utley’s Return

It’s crept into the minds of some already; it’s going to creep into the minds of more as each game goes by. When All-Star second basemen Chase Utley returns to the Philadelphia Phillies‘ lineup, what will Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro do with Freddy Galvis?

I think in a perfect world the Phillies would find a way to get Galvis in the big league lineup everyday. The more he plays at this level, the better.

But All-Stars with big contracts must play when they are healthy.

Everyone knows the timetable on Utley’s return is about as certain as Hunter Pence is orthodox. So for now, Galvis will continue to play everyday. But what happens when Utley is ready to make his first appearance of the season?

You probably don’t want Galvis to ride the pine; the same goes for Domonic Brown who is still in AAA. But Brown is also in the minors to continue working on things that need to be ironed out—predominately his defense—before he is really major league ready.

Galvis, on the other hand, is already one of the best infielders in the game. Try me if you disagree, but watch this kid play and you’ll immediately see why the Philadelphia organization loves him.

Galvis’ weakness has been his offense; but given his improvement at the plate lately, you can’t really even call it that. Through Thursday’s 10-9 win against the St. Louis Cardinals, Galvis is hitting .250 with 3 HR and 22 RBIs. In the month of May, his batting average is .300 and he has driven in 17.

The 22 year-old Venezuelan is also the only rookie to play in every game this season.

Given his ability to play both shortstop and second base, he could provide the role of utility man. With his prowess at fielding in general, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d be a real solid third baseman as well.

But do the Phillies give him that role?

If they decide to get him work at the hot corner, he could play fairly regularly in spelling Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Placido Polanco—three guys who need rest throughout the season. But it’s not the same as being an everyday player; and I have a feeling they won’t do that.

The most likely scenario is that they send Galvis down to AAA to continue to get consistent at-bats. But I know the Philly phaithful want to continue to chant “Freddy! Freddy!” every time he steps to the plate at Citizens Bank Park.

Unfortunately, they may have to cherish the opportunities they get now. Because once he is sent down, it may be a while before his red hats read “P” and not “LV.”  

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Philadelphia Phillies: Can Raul Valdes Turn into JC Romero?

In 2007, the Philadelphia Phillies were desperate to find someone to fill the vital role of left-handed reliever in the bullpen.

Matt Smith and Fabio Castro couldn’t come close to finding the strike zone. After that, they tried rushing 24-year-old Mike Zagurski from Single A to the majors and, in 25 appearances, he posted a 5.91 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. 

For a team to make it to the postseason for the first time in 14 seasons, they had to find someone to stabilize a shaky bullpen. That someone turned out to be JC Romero.

Romero was a situational lefty in Minnesota from 1999-2005. He was traded to the Los Angels Angels for Alexi Casilla after the 2005 season and then signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox after the 2006 season. Even though he had a 3.15 ERA in 23 appearances with the Red Sox, they released him in June and the Phillies quickly swooped him up.

Romero’s transition to the National League was outstanding. For the remainder of the 2007 season, he posted a remarkable 1.24 ERA in 51 appearances and was a key part on the Phillies’ first NL East title since 1993.

In 2008, Romero appeared in 81 games, posting a solid 2.75 ERA and he ended up winning two World Series games while not allowing a run in eight postseason games.

The quiet acquisition of Romero was key for the Phillies in winning the division from 2007-10. Last season, Antonio Bastardo surfaced as a left-hander manager Charlie Manuel could depend on to get crucial outs late in ballgames.

Bastardo is still holding up pretty well this season, but a new lefty has arrived basically out of nowhere and is now gaining Manuel’s confidence.

Raul Valdes is no spring chicken. The Cuban defector was signed by the Chicago Cubs as a free agent in 2004 and has subsequently bounced around quite a bit. He reached the majors for the first time with the New York Mets in 2010, going 3-3 with a 4.91 ERA in 58.2 innings.

After the 2010 season, he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and was pitching fine, but was placed on waivers in August. The New York Yankees claimed him and, in six games with them, he posted a 2.70 ERA.

Once again, he was granted free agency after the season and the Phillies signed him on November 10th.

Valdes was impressive in spring training, appearing in 10 games allowing opponents to hit just 1.89 and a sparking 0.88 WHIP. His 1.32 ERA in the spring was the best on the staff by anyone who pitched 10 or more innings. Raul was one of the final cuts and went down to Lehigh Valley. His most impressive stat at AAA was issuing just one walk in 21 innings of work.

Manuel loves being able to bring a guy in out of the pen who throws strikes. Valdes has been a strike machine.

The Phillies’ 10-9 victory last night was an absolute roller-coaster of a game and even though he only pitched 2/3 of an inning, Valdes calmed things down. He faced two batters, striking out Cards prospect Matt Adams, and became the pitcher of record when the Phillies took the lead for good in the top of the sixth. 

Since Valdes was recalled, he has pitched 5.1 innings, allowed just one hit, hasn’t walked anyone and struck out seven. 

The Phillies have some bullpen arms on the shelf right now, but when they regain their health, it will be extremely hard for GM Ruben Amaro Jr to send Valdes down. So far, he looks like JC Romero reincarnated and with better control.

The Phillies’ 23-23 record can be seen as somewhat of a disappointment so far, but it’s just one game off their World Championship season pace as they were 24-22 at this point in 2008.

To get back to the postseason, Valdes might be a key left-hander to calm the waters. Look for Manuel to call his number more and more as the season progresses.

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