Roy Halladay, Ryan Howard Back for Philadelphia Phillies: Too Little, Too Late?

The Philadelphia Phillies are now almost entirely healthy.

Roy Halladay made his return Tuesday, while Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are getting back into the offense.

This is what Phillies fans have been waiting for all year, but you have to wonder whether this is simply too little, too late.

The Phillies seem to be playing better as of late, but four teams sit between them and the top of the division.

That is a difficult spot to be in right now for the simple reason that it is not enough for just the Washington Nationals or Atlanta Braves to lose.

If just the Nationals collapsed, unless the rest of the division collapsed as well, the Phillies would still be behind three opponents.

That is a tough path to travel, to say the least.

However, it would be foolish for me to say that all is absolutely, without a doubt lost. Weird things happen all the time, and they especially seem to happen on the baseball diamond.

The Phillies are playing better, as I already mentioned. Ryan Howard and Chase Utley are two of the best hitters in all of baseball, and if they are able to dive right into midseason form, that would help quite a bit.

In fact the Phillies’ biggest weakness has been their bullpen, and if they decide to buy instead of sell, they would need to address this area.

So, it will be difficult for the Phillies if they decide that they want to make a run for the playoffs rather than sell and worry about winning next year

Any hope rests in strong returns from injury by key players as well as adding a piece or two to the bullpen.

Admittedly, that hope is slim.

The National League East is strong, and what are the odds of all four of their opponents simultaneously collapsing?

It will be tough, but if they don’t sell, they must at least think a comeback for at least a wild-card position is possible.

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