Philadelphia Phillies Starter Joe Blanton Is the Latest Injury Bug Victim

Players are dropping like flies in Philadelphia.  Joe Blanton is the latest victim of this injury virus which seems to be spreading quicker than both the Swine and Bird Flu combined.

The diagnosis is medial impingement of the right elbow, which is Blanton’s throwing arm.  Treatment for this injury can vary from rest and medication to surgery.  There is no word yet on how Blanton’s treatment will play out.

Blanton now joins fellow teammates on the DL, including shortstop Chase Utley, closer Brad Lidge, back-up closer Jose Contreras, relief pitcher JC Romero and outfielder Domonic Brown.

Catcher Carlos Ruiz is also going to be inactive for several days while he recovers from a back issue.  For now, he will not be placed on the DL and Brian Schneider will fill in.

Vance Worley has been called up from the AAA Iron Pigs to start tomorrow’s game against the Mets in place of Blanton.  In four starts this year, Worley is 2-2 with a 2.78 ERA and 9.9 K/9.  In 13 innings last year with the major league club, Worley was impressive with a 1.38 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

While this is a great opportunity for a young prospect, the news for Blanton is surprising.  Blanton is coming off two straight quality starts after having a rough start to the season.  He showed no signs of elbow issues Saturday against the Padres.  Just when things were looking up for Blanton, the crap has suddenly hit the fan.

What was once a very experienced pitching staff for the Phillies has just gotten a whole lot younger very quickly.  Having to depend on younger arms both in the starting staff and in the bullpen is a little nerve racking.

How a younger pitcher will respond to a stressful situation is the great unknown.  Although in Worley’s case, he showed very good poise last year in his short time with the big club.  That is a plus.

But this is a new year with new pressures, including having to keep pace with four of the best starters in the game in Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels.  If Worley can stick to competing with himself, instead of the rest of this veteran staff, he should be just fine.

For Phillies fans, the way to look at all this carnage is simple.  Perhaps the team is getting all the injuries out of the way early so everyone will be healthy late in the season.  Or, is that too optimistic?  Time will tell.

In the interim, just keep sending out that positive, happy energy and hope for the best.

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Phillies Sweeps and Strikeouts Cannot Hide Stench of Offensive Offense

It has been an interesting few days for the Philadelphia Phillies.

On Sunday, they finished off a four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres, scoring only 12 runs total in all of those games. An inside-the-park homer by Shane Victorino helped seal Sunday’s sweep.

That same day, closer Jose Contreras was sent to the DL with a strained right flexor pronator tendon in his elbow. As a result, Michael Stutes joined the club to fill the roster spot and made his major-league debut on Monday.

Also on Monday night, the Phillies‘ five-game win streak ended with a 4-0 shutout loss to the D-Backs.

Cliff Lee pitched an odd game where he struck out 12 batters, but still allowed four runs in seven innings. However, Lee’s performance was basically rendered irrelevant as the Phils offense did absolutely nothing to help out.

The three-hit shutout by the Diamondbacks‘ Ian Kennedy, where he struck out 10 batters and did not issue a walk, matched an Arizona team record.

Only two other pitchers in team history tossed a shutout while allowing three or fewer hits with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks. One was Curt Schilling, on April 10, 2001, against the Dodgers (two hits allowed, 10 SO), and the other was Randy Johnson, when he pitched a perfect game on May 18, 2004, against Atlanta (13 SO).

While that feat by Kennedy is very impressive, the Phillies offense certainly made it a little easier on him by swinging at bad pitches and watching good ones fly by.

The Phils’ offensive offense has not scored more than four runs in 14 consecutive games this season. They currently rank 28th in baseball for runs scored since April 9.

The worst offender amongst the starters has been Raul Ibanez, who is hitting just .179. He should be benched in favor of John Mayberry Jr. until he figures things out. Maybe at almost 39 years old, Ibanez needs to be in a platoon with Mayberry to get him more rest.

Team leader Jimmy Rollins is also not producing. He got off to a hot start and has seriously cooled off. Rollins has not had a multi-hit game since April 12. He has batted .182 since.

But a few players are not to blame.

The entire team is just not hitting, as if they all caught the same virus at once. If the disease continues to spread, who will be the fall guy? Last year, it was hitting coach Milt Thompson.

Frankly, the players themselves need to be held accountable. Play the bench guys until the starters find their swings.

While the bench is solid, it is not the long-term solution. However, maybe benching a few guys will light a fire under them—because the Phillies have few other options.

Their payroll is maxed out. The Phillies will never be a team that decides to pay the luxury tax along with the Yankees. So as far as getting new blood into the lineup, they are out of options. Besides, it is only April and no teams are ready to trade anyone yet.

Then again, it is only April. The team is still winning, despite the offense, thanks to a solid starting staff.

But even the pitchers are going to get weary of the lack of support very soon.

So, choose your most relaxing yoga pose and just keep telling yourself, “It’s only April. It’s only April…”

 

D-Backs stats courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau via ESPN.

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What Reception Will Werth Get from Phillies Fans?

Much has been made out of Jayson Werth‘s offseason departure from the Phillies after accepting a huge $126 million, 7-year deal from the Nationals. 

On Tuesday night, Werth will face his former team for the first time as the Phillies travel to D.C. for a three-game series.

Some fans have expressed their disappointment that Werth chose a big paycheck over staying with a winning team.  After all, Cliff Lee gave up more money from the Yankees to come back to Philadelphia.

But in the same circumstance, most people would take the money.  And the offer Werth got from the Nats was significantly more than the Phillies offered.  So, can you really blame him?

Money aside, there may be other reasons that Phillies fans feel the need to boo Werth.  For example, this past February, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post quoted Werth as saying, “I hate the Phillies, too,” in response to a comment made by Washington GM Mike Rizzo.

Then in late March, an interview with Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. by Nick DiUlio of Philadelphia Magazine revealed more angry words by Werth.  Amaro stated he received a text message from Werth after the Lee signing that said, “BOOOOOOOO!” 

The next part of the same article read as follows: “That reaction from Jayson was funny,” says Amaro in his office in February, again flashing that smile. “He was pissed off. He had just signed with Washington. He said to me, ‘You dumbass. You could’ve had both of us.’ And I said, ‘You’re the dumbass. You could have taken our arbitration offer.’”

While Werth is clearly sore over the deal, should fans be sore about Werth’s reaction?

Maybe.

But a few childish and angry words should not overshadow what Werth contributed to the Phillies team over four seasons. 

He helped them win the 2008 World Championship, played solid defense and added some pop to the line-up.

While Werth’s choice of words could be perceived as blatant disrespect for a team and a fan base that always had his back, the words were spoken out of shock and, likely, disappointment.

Games in D.C. against the Phillies have been traditionally overrun with Phillies fans in the past several years.  So, despite this being a home game for the Nats, Phillies fans will be heard.

So the question then remains: To boo or not to boo?  

Booing is not really my style, but each person is free to make their own choice.  Ultimately, I hope Werth hears more cheers than boos out of appreciation for the time he spent in Philadelphia.

And if you would really like Werth to feel bad about his poor choice of words this offseason, there is no better way than offering up a loud, hearty cheer to make him regret the indiscretion.

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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Good Signs at the Start of the Season

The Phillies finished their first home stand of the year Thursday night by beating the Mets by a score of 11-0.  This win gives the Phillies a 5-1 record through the first six games of 2011.

The Phillies scored 43 runs in those six games.

Overall, the start of 2011 has been a great success for this team, which had some big questions looming before 2011 kicked off.

Here are five of the most encouraging signs at the start of the Phillies 2011 season.

 

Jimmy Rollins photo by Jenn Zambri

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The Philadelphia Phillies Offense Answers Tough Questions Early in the Season

Having assembled this amazing pitching staff with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton, the only remaining question for the Phillies is whether or not they could they muster any offense. The simple answer is yes.

After the unbelievable Opening Day ninth-inning comeback rally on Friday, the Phils offense picked up on Saturday where they left off.

The Phillies got off to a quick start with two runs in the first inning. Between the fourth and fifth innings, they scored five more runs. The highlights were a Raul Ibanez double, a two-run Shane Victorino bloop single and a Ben Francisco double, just to name a few.

The real encouraging factor was not just the runs, but the way they scored the runs.  It was a combination of good base running, patience at the plate, small ball and timely hitting. This is the Phillies’ offense everyone has been waiting to see.

Of course, we all loved the home run days and there will still be some of those. But in the past, the Phillies offense really seemed to rely on the big hits with little to no focus on manufacturing runs. With Chase Utley hurt and Jayson Werth gone, the big concern going into 2011 was the lack of power on a team that has issues playing small ball.

And while two games is a very small sample size, it does look like the offense has finally figured out how to go one base at a time to score runs. With the incredible pitching they have, if the offense can keep up this pace and be consistent, the 2011 Phillies will be a very scary team.

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Brad Lidge to Start Year on DL; Should Phillies Fans Be Worried?

With pain in his right shoulder, closer Brad Lidge will start the 2011 season on the disabled list.  With Lidge’s long history of injuries, this new issue should be a huge red light to the Phillies that Lidge’s time is close to being over.

Lidge was especially concerned with this new injury saying, “I haven’t had shoulder problems in the past.”  Although, Lidge has had surgery on both knees multiple times, elbow surgery, an oblique strain, a strained intercostal muscle and bicep tendinitis, just to name a few.

Still, Lidge entered spring training boasting that he was healthy and felt great.  Exactly when that may have changed is hard to tell.  Lidge is an eternal optimist so what he says should maybe be taken with a grain of salt.

In fact, here is a little help for those who cannot always decipher what Lidge is talking about.

The Brad Lidge Translator

Lidge Says:        I feel great.

Lidge Means:     The pain is unbearable!

 

Lidge Says:        I am not concerned.

Lidge Means:     I am totally freaking out here!

 

Lidge Says:        No need to panic.

Lidge Means:     Red alert, red alert…PANIC!!!

 

Lidge Says:        It is a setback.

Lidge Means:     This is the END of my career!

 

Lidge Says:       This is disappointing.

Lidge Means:     I am going to crawl into a hole with a vat of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and eat and cry until I vomit.

 

With Lidge out of the picture, closing duties will fall either to Ryan Madson or Jose Contreras.  While it is good to know the Phillies have options, this does create major issues in the bullpen.  The Phillies failed to re-sign Chad Durbin, which may come back to haunt them as they now have to rely on less experienced arms in the middle innings.

The Lidge injury is magnified when you think about the loss of Chase Utley, Domonic Brown and questions still lingering about Placido Polanco’s elbow.

So, should Phillies fans be worried?  The short answer is, not yet.

The team seems to have back-up for Utley.  Luis Castillo finally got a hit today and also walked twice while showing solid defense in the field.  Wilson Valdez continues to impress as well.

As for Brown, Ben Francisco is doing well in what may have been Brown’s spot in the outfield.  John Mayberry Jr. is also capable and the two may wind up rotating in right field.

Another good sign is that Polanco did play today in the 3-1 victory over the Braves.  Polly looked a bit tentative and was sore after the game, but he expects to play again on Sunday.  Or perhaps, much like Lidge, I am being a tad too optimistic about all this?  I hope not.

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Philadelphia Phillies’ Signing of Luis Castillo Raises More Concerns About Utley

Those who were hoping for an Opening Day miracle in the form of a healthy Chase Utley are going to be sorely disappointed. The signing of veteran second baseman Luis Castillo to a minor league deal means that Utley may be down for a long time.

This move seems like the Phillies are taking out the Mets’ trash in the hope of turning it into treasure. But Castillo was just released from the Mets for poor performance and a poor attitude. The move cost the Mets $6 million to eat Castillo’s contract. With that in mind, they must have wanted him gone very badly.

Once upon a time, Castillo was a very good player. But the 35-year-old is coming off a season where he hit only .235 with 17 RBI and played just 86 games due to injuries.

And guess what body part gives Castillo the most issues? His legs, more specifically knees, ankles and feet, have been trouble for Castillo for many years now. So the Phillies are trying to replace a second baseman with a bad knee with another second baseman with a bad knee?

There are at least four guys already in camp with the Phillies who can replace Utley temporarily.  This includes Wilson Valdez, Michael Martinez, Josh Barfield and Pete Orr. All have hit well, especially Valdez, who is batting .419 in 43 at-bats.

But the Castillo contract is low-risk, as the Phillies have to pay him less, only $414,000, if he makes the 25-man roster  However, can they accurately assess Castillo’s play with only nine games to go?

This move stinks of desperation from a team that has maxed out its payroll. And it also does not bode well for the present or future of Utley.

Clearly, the knee issue is much worse than anticipated. And the fact that surgery has not been done yet is an even bigger red flag. If the Phillies are so worried that surgery could make matters worse, then Utley’s future, even beyond 2011, is a huge question mark too.

Hang on, Phillies fans. This is going to be a very long and very strange trip through the 2011 season.

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Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training: Sizing Up the Potential 2011 Roster

As spring training winds down with under two weeks to go, the Phillies 2011 roster is starting to come into focus.  The chart on the bottom right is a look at 24 of the 25 available roster spots as they may unfold.

The list right now has 12 pitchers, although the Phillies could add David Herndon and go with 13.  Kyle Kendrick has not had a good spring, but the Phils are paying him too much to send him back to Triple-A.  It could happen, as Herndon has been pretty good, but it is unlikely.

What is more probable is that the Phillies will choose to carry an extra infielder or utility player because of the Chase Utley situation.  Odds are very good that Utley will start the season on the disabled list with Wilson Valdez filling in at second base.  However, this still leaves an extra roster spot open.

The list above includes Michael Martinez, who has played well enough to earn a spot and he plays multiple positions.  Plus, Martinez is a Rule 5 player.  If the Phillies do not put him on the roster, they have to offer him back to the Nationals.  With the way Martinez has played, the Nationals would probably take him back.

Also on the list is John Mayberry Jr. who is batting .319 with five home runs so far this spring.  He is also very versatile and can play first base, as well as the outfield.

That leaves one bench spot for either Pete Orr, Josh Barfield or Delwyn Young.  Barfield has been very good at the plate, hitting .355 with three doubles and a triple.  He is also speedy, which is a plus.

But Barfield’s main weakness appears to be defense.  While he has not committed any “official” errors, Barfield has fumbled the ball more than once.  In Saturday’s matchup with the Orioles, Barfield dropped an easy double play ball, did not get any outs and left Cole Hamels hanging.  Hamels was having a rough day to begin with, so this did not help.

As for Orr, he is experienced and can play second, third and a little outfield.  Orr is batting .343 with three doubles and three triples this spring.  Orr also strikes out less than Barfield and Young, but his fielding is average.

That leaves Young, who is intriguing because he can play almost anywhere.  However, his fielding is not very good.  A lifetime .258 hitter, Young is batting .298 with one home run, seven RBI and two doubles this spring.  He is probably the least likely to make the team.

However, there are still nine games left in Florida and two exhibition games in Philadelphia before the season begins.  Each player still has time to make a big push towards earning a roster spot.

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Brad Lidge: Will He See His Injury History Repeat?

The grocery list of Phillies’ player injuries has just grown a bit longer.  It began with Chase Utley’s bum knee, moved on to a broken hand bone for Domonic Brown, a sore neck for Ben Francisco and now, Brad Lidge has joined the party.

According to Phillies sources, Lidge has bicep tendinitis.  Pitching coach Rich Dubee said, “He generally has it in the spring,” indicating that this is business as usual for Lidge.  The Phillies insist it is not serious.  Then again, we have heard that one before.

There are also reports that Lidge’s fastball is not up to speed.  Combined with his injury history, and the fact that he has yet to get through an entire spring training with the Phillies healthy, there may be reason for concern.

Speaking of Lidge’s history, did you know that Lidge missed parts of his first four professional seasons—from 2002 to 2005—with a variety of injuries?  These included a torn rotator cuff, right shoulder tendinitis and a broken forearm that almost ended his career.

Here is a closer look at Lidge’s history of injuries:

• 2002—a strained intercostal muscle near the rib cage.
• December 2003—arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
• June-July 2005—shut down with elbow issues.
• May 2007—bone bruise on his right femur near his knee.
• June-July 2007—left oblique strain.
• October 2007—surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee.
• February 2008—tore the meniscus in the same knee he just had surgery on during his first pitch off a mound in spring training.
• June 2009—sprained right knee and a sore elbow, specifically the flexor pronator tendon.
• January 2010—surgery on both the elbow and the right knee again.
• March 2010—the elbow is still an issue and Lidge gets a cortisone injection.
• March 2011—bicep tendinitis.

While history does not always predict the future, the long list of injuries is a bit scary.  The amount of time Lidge has missed is an issue as well.

Of the top 10 closers in baseball who remained basically healthy in 2010, the average number of innings pitched for each closer was about 68.2 innings per year.  Lidge pitched only 45.2 last year and 58.2 in 2009.

The current injury for Lidge may indeed be nothing to worry about.  Phillies fans certainly hope that is the case.  But at the rate Phillies players are dropping, any injury is scary. 

Adding to the Phillies woes, Placido Polanco left a spring game early today after hyperextending the same elbow he had surgery on this offseason.  Just like Lidge, the Phillies say he is not expected to miss much time.

For both Lidge and Polanco, many are hoping that history will not repeat itself.

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Is There a Battle Brewing Between Phillies’ Kyle Kendrick and Vance Worley?

The Phillies played two games on Saturday in split squad action.  Kyle Kendrick started against the Rays in Clearwater and Vance Worley took the mound against the Pirates in Bradenton.

Worley did well and allowed just one run over 3.1 innings on two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.  Kendrick, on the other hand, looked good for two innings, but was then slammed with three homers from lefties in his final two innings.  The five runs Kendrick surrendered contributed to a 6-2 Phillies loss.

While it is only spring training, the question of whether or not Kendrick can get left-handed batters out still remains.  In four seasons with the Phillies, Kendrick has been consistently inconsistent.  The issues with lefties, a sinker ball that does not always sink and his tendency to become frustrated on the mound are concerning.

With all the experience he has gained over the years, the time for Kendrick to get it together into one complete package may be now or never.

Worley, 23, is younger and has less experience.  But in the long run, he may turn out to be the better pitcher between the two.  In 13 innings with the big club last year, Worley posted a 1.38 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP.  His minor league lifetime WHIP is 1.280.

In addition, Worley has a variety of pitches, including both a two-seam and four-seam fastball, slider, curve and cut fastball.

It is possible that Worley will have outpitched Kendrick by the end of spring?  If so, do the Phillies go with Worley or stick with experience in Kendrick?

There is a different possibility as well.  If another bullpen pitcher bombs, like Danys Baez for example, there could be room for both players.  This also gives the Phillies additional options in the case that a starting pitcher gets injured.  Although, having two long-men in the bullpen seems unlikely, as Worley could easily be recalled from the minors if needed.

With only a few weeks left this spring, both pitchers will need to bring their A-games.

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