UPDATE: Madson did in fact land on the DL in a move made out of frustration. He kicked a chair after slipping on some steps in the hallway between the dugout and clubhouse at AT&T Park.

The slip, along with the blown save, "set him off."

"I was upset about the game first, and then that happened. I just wanted to go out there and win and that didn't happen," Madson said. "I took out my frustrations in the wrong way. I definitely learned my lesson. I'm definitely not going to do that again.

"I'm frustrated. Embarrassed. I let down my teammates, I let down the fans. I feel terrible."

Assistant GM Scott Proefrock said it could take Madson more than 15 days (the minimum DL time) to return.

Madson is wearing a boot on his right foot and had crutches in his locker stall.


Here's a game you can play with your friends one day this winter: how many Phillies pitchers spent time on the DL on April of 2010?

The answer? Five.

Ryan Madson joined the long and distinguished list of Phils pitchers to land on the DL in the first month of the season when he broke his right big toe. According to a press release from the team, it happened after his appearance in Wednesday's game in San Francisco. Madson blew his second save in as many chances that afternoon.

The Phils recalled lefty Antonio Bastardo to take the vacant roster spot. Bastardo was sent out just a day earlier when the Phils activated Brad Lidge from the DL.

Also on the DL this month? Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and J.C. Romero, of course.

Just arrived to the ballpark so more on this new injury later....

The closer is officially back.

As expected, Brad Lidge has been activated from the 15-day disabled list. He'll be in uniform Friday and available to pitch against the first-place New York Mets.

To make room for Lidge on the active roster, Antonio Bastardo was optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Bastardo became expendable when the Phils got fellow left-handed reliever J.C. Romero back from the DL a week ago.

Bastardo had been used sparingly out of the bullpen of late - he was called on just twice since April 15.

Lidge will likely be slid right back into his role as the Phillies' closer. Ryan Madson, the setup man filling in at closer during Lidge's absence, has blown two of his last three save opportunities, including Wednesday in San Francisco.

Lidge, who led the major leagues with 11 blown saves last year, capped his rehab program with six straight scoreless outings.

Brad Lidge will more than likely be back at Citizens Bank Park and available to pitch out of the bullpen Friday when the Mets come to Citizens Bank Park.

Lidge struck out four batters in two innings of work at Double-A Reading. He retired six of the seven batters he faced; the only batter to reach reached on an error.

It was Lidge's sixth straight game without allowing a run. Afterward, he told reporters he was ready for the big leagues.

"After tonight I feel ready,” Lidge said. “Being able to locate and use all of my pitches with where I am velocity-wise, I feel like I’m pretty much ready to go.”


So who would have thunk it - Phillies vs. Mets this weekend could actually be exciting.

After starting the season 4-8 and saddled with their usual run of injuries, the Mets appeared to be dead before the season was two weeks old. But they've won 8 of their last 9 - and 6 games in a row - to move into first place.

How did they get into first, besides winning games, you ask? The Phils have gone bad, capped by Tuesday's night's 6-2 loss to the Giants, their third straight defeat.

Ever since going 8-2 to begin the season (against the Nats and Astros for all but one of those games), the Phils have dropped 7 of 10.

At times, their bullpen has been to blame (like a week ago in Atlanta: Hello Ryan Madson). At other times, the starting pitching (we're looking in your direction, four-home-runs-allowed Cole Hamels).

And the offense hasn't been anything special, either. After averaging 7.5 runs in their first 10 games, the Phils can't even get half of that: they're scoring 3 runs per game.

It's probably easier to break the math down like this: in the first 10 games, they scored 75 runs; in the last 10 games, they've scored 30.

Besides the absence of Jimmy Rollins at the top, there are two other notable reasons the offense has fallen flat: Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. They combined for 26 RBIs in the first 10 games and have a combined total of five in the last 10.

First 10 games: Utley (.368-6HR-12RBI-4K-11BB) and Howard (.362-3HR-14RBI-5K-2BB).

Last 10 games: Utley (.194-0HR-3RBI-11K-7BB) and Howard (.175-0HR-2RBI-11K-2BB).


While Rollins won't be back to add a much needed spark to a suddenly comatose offense until at least another week to 10 days (that's my best guess, at least), the Phils will have their closer in uniform for the first time in '10. Which is a good thing, right?

Lidge has appeared to corral his command in his recent minor league outings.

Even if Lidge's velocity hasn't climbed higher than 91mph, he usually doesn't see the final big spike until he's gets the jolt from pitching in a big-league environment, with a save on the line.

"The last mark for me, mentally, is to hit the low 90s before I get back up there," Lidge said. "I know in the ninth inning when I get back up there I’ll get a few more miles-per-hour in a save situation in a big-league game.”

Fittingly enough, that could come against the Mets in a series that sounds much more interesting than it did this time last week. Should be fun, right?

As you may have heard by now, Ryan Howard and the Phillies have agreed to a contract extension that will keep the former MVP in red pinstripes until at least 2016 and for a guaranteed $125 million. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. announced the deal earlier today.

(Howard apparently only signs contract extensions when I'm on a plane, by the way. Weird. I guess I should be ready for 2018.)

When you read $125 million, you can't help but be blown away. Regular folks like you and I can't comprehend that kind of cash. It might as well be monopoly money.

But, in baseball terms, this is a great deal all around. Let's briefly countdown the ways...

1. Keeping the window open: All along the Phillies goal is to extend the current nucleus' window of opportunity of winning as long as they can. But besides Roy Halladay and Chase Utley, there aren't non-arbitration-eligible players locked up beyond 2012.
The Phils smartly chose to lock up the most productive run producer in their lineup and a guy who sells tickets like no one else on the team.

2. The length of the contract is right on: A five-year extension, which begins after the 2011 season, gets underway in the same month Howard turns 32-years-old. So the length of the deal doesn't seem to be bad at all for the Phillies - Howard will be 36-years-old in the last guaranteed year of the deal.

3. The money is fair to both parties: Somewhere along the line, a rumor began that Ryan Howard wanted A-Rod money (10 year, $275 million) and that was that. Well if Howard's current contract (3 years, $54 million) didn't debunk that, this one does. And the more appropriate Yankees star to compare Howard to is fellow 1B Mark Teixeira. Prior to the 2009 season, Teixeira, who is just five months younger than Howard, signed an 8-year, $180 million contract as a free agent (when teams were bidding for his services).

If Howard hit the open market after next year, he could demand similar. And with that free agent class also including Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez, the Yankees, Phillies, Cardinals, and Red Sox are projected to be among the teams primed to bid for one of those players' series.

Back to Teixeira: in the same five-year period Howard's contract kicks in, Teixeira is due to earn $112.5 million through 2016. Without factoring in the option year/buyout in 2017, Howard will earn $115 million in that same period. And, again, both are the same age.

4. Off the market: In locking up Howard, the Phils won't have to worry about entering the aforementioned free agent bidding war/sweepstakes during the winter of 2011-2012. Why is this a good thing (besides the obvious reasons)? Pujols could very well be too rich for the Cardinals' blood. If anyone is going to get A-Rod money, it's Pujols. The Red Sox and Yanks will gladly pay the man. But than that would leave the Cardinals needing a 1B... and who better than St. Louis native Ryan Howard to win back a fanbase that will undoubtedly be upset in losing Pujols?


OK, so that's a random "4 reasons." I'm sure I could make a top 5 list or even a top 10, but I'm jet-lagged. I just how to drop some knowledge out there while it was fresh on the plane-fried brain.

As I suspected earlier in this space, J.A. Happ has in fact been placed on the 15-day DL with a left forearm strain.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee said he cut Happ's pen session short after 20 pitches today because "he didn't look right." That said, Happ might not miss a lot of time if his arm continues to progress, as it has since his last start.

"I feel pretty positive (Happ) won't be out for an extended period," Dubee said.

To take Happ's place on the 25-man roster, J.C. Romero has been activated, which is obviously a boost to the back end of the bullpen.

Here is a little of what J.A. Happ had to say this afternoon:


Question: Having gone through what you went through in '07, think this is the best thing to do?
Happ: I think so. I'm trying to have better perspective about the whole thing. I think they're being smart about it and I agree with them that I'm not quite there yet.

Question: You pitched through it through most of '07 season?
Happ: Quite a bit of it, yeah.

Question: Do you sense after going through three years ago how much time you need? Ruben said it's probably more like weeks than months.
Happ: I sure hope (it's quickly). It's progressed some and we're hoping it continues to do that. we're not going to shut it down completely, I'm still going to toss and do other stuff to try to keep the arm moving. Unfortunately I think it's one of those things that needs to not be stressed for a little while.

Question: How did it feel at its worst, and then today in pen?
Happ: It's something where I let go of the ball, it's a very uncomfortable feeling. But it’s not as intense or as sharp as it was. The bullpen today was OK. But I wouldn't feel like I'd be that successful trying to get big league hitters out with the way it is right now.

Question: How does it feel compared to '07?
Happ: It's hard to say. It's similar. I can't remember exactly. I've also tried to block that entire year out of my memory and this is bringing it back up again which I don't like. It's similar.

Question: After you finally stopped pitching in '07 before Arizona Fall League, how long did it take before you felt fine throwing?
Happ: I took time - I probably didn't start throwing until mid-December. It was a couple of months off, and that’s because it was the offseason. I was able to give it as much time as I could. I certinaly don't anticipate it being anywhere near that, and that's why we're trying to be smart about it. If you get to a situation where it's 6-8 weeks instead of maybe, 1-2 weeks, hopefully.

Question: You had all that time to shut down three years ago because of the offseason and don't have that time now. is that worrisome?
Happ: No. That was a situation where I'd stressed it and was pitching on it when maybe I shouldn't have. This was the best approach, to stop it now before it gets worse.

Question: Didn't feel it this time until right before this last start, right?
Happ: Yeah, it started to get stiff. The last start was the first time it was there.

J.A. Happ is currently stretching in the corner of left field with pitching coach Rich Dubee and bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer in tow.

He is about to throw a long toss to warm up his arm before throwing an important bullpen session. Happ, who had one start already skipped with left elbow soreness, will see how the arm has responded after a few days of inactivity and rest.

But since Happ has had this injury before and realizes it's something that takes time to heal, why would the Phillies risk anything and rush him back into the rotation this Saturday, where there is currently a "TBA" listed on the probable pitchers' list?

Here are a few reasons why placing Happ on the DL makes the most sense:

-This is an injury that only heals with rest. Happ said as much Tuesday afternoon: "You definitely can do more damage (by pitching through it) — that’s why it’s frustrating."

-If Happ was placed on the DL, it would be backdated to April 16, the day after his last start. If you count 15 days from then, Happ would be eligible to return Saturday, May 1.

-In that window between now and May 1, the Phils would need to account for Happ's spot in the rotation only once. They could start Andrew Carpenter or Nelson Figueroa on Saturday in Arizona and then go with the foursome of Kyle Kendrick-Roy Halladay-Cole-Hamels-Jamie Moyer, without anyone pitching on short rest, all the way until May 3.

-Triple-A Lehigh Valley starter Andrew Carpenter was scratched from his start today. He will obviously have a fresh arm available to help the Phillies if called upon.

-Joe Blanton will make his second rehab start Friday. He'd likely go again on Wednesday the 28th and could be ready early into the next homestand. So the Phils will get another, fresh and healthy arm in the near future.

So, once again, why wouldn't they place J.A. Happ on the DL?

Just a quick pregame update on Jimmy Rollins:

Just a week after officially going on the DL with a right calf sprain, Rollins sneaked into the batting cage in pregame BP.

I didn't watch BP intently, but I saw him take at least three swings... nice and easy swings ... but swings nonetheless, from the left side. He poked one ball into the right-center gap.

Afterward, Rollins played long toss with batting practice coach Ali Modami, and appeared to get to close to 150-feet. He was throwing with what looked like max effort and didn't have a limp.

The Phils haven't scheduled a rehab assignment yet for Rollins, but he sure looks to be on the shorter end of that "2-4 weeks" projection the team estimated for his recovery when he went on the DL.

Rollins, placed on the DL on April 14, wouldn't be eligible to return from the DL until the Phils' next game, Friday April 30.

One thing to keep in mind, however: Hitting and throwing are probably two of the easier "baseball activities" to do while nursing a calf injury. The bigger hurdles for Rollins will involve fielding his position at shortstop and running at game-speed.

We live in a reactionary society, especially sports fans in Philadelphia, so it was no surprising to sense people were calling for Ryan Madson's head after last night's shocking 4-3 loss to the Braves at Turner Field.

Charlie Manuel said before today's game, "Ryan Madson is our closer." So there.

Fans back in Philly, however, were no doubt pulling their collective hair out when Madson, one out away from completing a 3-0 victory, instead served up a pair of two-out home runs as the game went extra innings, where the Braves won on another home run, this time off Jose Contreras (fans were calling for his head in spring training).

But just as with the same crowd that was calling for Kyle Kendrick's rotation spot before last night, let's consider a few things:

For one, it was one game. It was ugly, yes. But before last night Madson was 3-3 in save opps this year.

Two, what alternative do the Phillies currently have? Danys Baez would probably be the next guy on the clock, and maybe the only guy who could do it. He has a history as a closer.

But Baez has given up four runs in six games (4 2/3 innings) this year. So it's not like Mariano Rivera is sitting there as Madson's understudy.

Here's a bit of what pitching coach Rich Dubee had to say about Madson today.

"The ninth inning is a different beast. (Madson) is under control some games and he's not under control other times, the game gets fast on him. The ninth inning is a completely different beast. Its why the guys who can do it and do it on a consistent basis year in and year out are special. Those are special guys. There are a lot of guys that it takes longer to get over the hump. Some never get over the hump. Some are more comfortable in the 7th or 8th for some reason. But (Madson) has had stretches of real good runs and he's had some stretches of inconsistency.

So what kind of guy is Madson?

"I don't know yet. I know he's got plenty of stuff to do it. absolutely plenty of stuff. Can he do it on a consistent basis? I'm not sure yet because he hasn't done it on a regular basis. I think the ability is there, absolutely."

J.A. Happ was clearly frustrated about the elbow injury that will force him to imss his scheduled start this week in Atlanta.

But there was another reason for Happ's obvious unhappiness as he spoke to reporter's before Tuesday's game at Turner Field - he's had this ailment before.

Before politely cutting off an interview with a handful of reporters, Happ said he dealt with the same injury in 2007. If you remember, Happ made his debut with the Phils on June 30 of that season, starting one game (he gave up five runs in four innings of a 8-3 loss to the Mets).

But here's the rub: Happ was pitching hurt for almost the entire 2007 season, something he didn't admit to Phils officials until just before they asked him to compete at the Arizona Fall League toward the end of the '07 season.

Happ will throw a bullpen session here in Atlanta Thursday to test the arm. Ruben Amaro Jr. said today that if Happ isn't 100 percent, they will not have him pitch this weekend in Arizona (which could also lead to a DL trip, since the Phils can get a way with four starters for the rest of the road trip).

Happ was asked if he felt similar, that if he's not 100 percent Thursday it made the most sense to move forward with caution and not return too soon.

"Yeah - that’s where the frustration comes in," Happ said. "I know what it can do. I know it can be a debilitating type injury."

Reporter: You've had this before?

Happ: "Yes. It wasn't very good."

Reporter: Was this in '07?

Happ: "Yeah. That's all I really got for you guys. Sorry."

In '07, Happ finished 4-6 with a 5.02 ERA in 24 games (all starts) at Triple-A Ottawa. He got healthy that offseason and finally broke through as a big league regular in '08.

More on Happ's history with the injury - and more from him, Amaro and Charlie Manuel - in the Daily Times on Wednesday.

I flew into the ATL this morning, checked into my hotel and grabbed the local paper to read during lunch at the diner down the street.

It didn't take long to see the first comparison between Ryan Howard (6-4, 255 pounds) and Atlanta Braves rookie Jason Heyward (6-5, 240).

The 20-year-old Heyward has been featured by nearly every media outlet since spring training, and with good reason - he looks like an honest-to-goodness can't-miss prospect. After two weeks into his major league career, he reminds me of Ken Griffey Jr. - a young kid that's ready to be a star right away.

I wrote about him some today... but after seeing the Howard-Heyward comparisons in today's Atlanta paper, I decided to do a little research on just how good Howard was when he became a regular, everyday player with the Phillies (as Heyward is now).

One thing to notice right away is Heyward's career is beginning five years earlier than Howard: Heyward, again, is just 20 years old; Howard was 25 as a rookie.

Let's take a look at how Heyward in 12 games now compares to Howard in his first 12 games in July of 2005, when the Phillies first baseman began to play regularly (Jim Thome had just gone on the DL).

Howard in July of '05: .255 (12-for-47) with three home runs, 11 RBIs, 5 extra-base hits, seven runs, 15 strikeouts.

Heyward in April of '10: .302 (13-for-43) with three home runs, 15 RBIs, 6 extra-base hits, seven runs, 16 strikeouts.


And if we're keeping score just head to head in '10: Howard is .309-3-14 while Heyward is .302-3-15.


In any event, it should be fun to watch these guys in action in Atlanta this week. Howard likes to hit here: .336, 15 home runs and 46 RBIs in 42 games.

Before boarding a plane bound for Atlanta to begin a nine-game, three-city road trip, the Phillies administered an MRI on J.A. Happ's sore left arm.

Afterward, the Phillies decided it was for the best to skip Happ's next start, which would have come during the team's upcoming three-game series in Atlanta.

GM Ruben Amaro Jr. issued the following statement:

"J.A. Happ experienced soreness in his left elbow after his last start. He was seen by Dr. Michael Ciccotti and had an MRI. The MRI revealed a very mild flexor pronator muscle strain. J.A. has been progressing and improving since then, but we will take a conservative approach and skip his next start. He is scheduled for a bullpen session on Thursday."

The Phils rotation for the series against the Braves looks like this:

Kyle Kendrick on Tuesday
Roy Halladay on Wednesday
Jamie Moyer on Thursday


The Phils will then move on to Arizona, with Cole Hamels very likely pitching Friday.

They would need another starter for Saturday. It could be Happ, or they could give Nelson Figueroa a spot start. By going with Figueroa Saturday, the rest of the rotation - Kendrick, Halladay, Moyer and Hamels - could follow.

In that scenario, they could bring Happ back in the first game back at home, April 30 vs. the Mets.

Then again, if that scenario played out, they might as well wait a full extra day and bring Happ back Saturday, May 1. By doing that, they could place Happ on the 15-day DL, recall another pitcher for bullpen inventory and still get away with using a spot starter (Figueroa) just once.

Ricky Nolasco was good... no... great on Saturday night. He nearly took a perfect game into the fifth inning and he came one out away from shutting out the best offense in baseball.

But don't lose site of another storyline that came from a 5-1 loss to the Marlins other than the fact that Nolasco baffled the Phils' batters: Philadelphia pitchers not named Roy Halladay haven't produced a single start that's taken them into the seventh inning and they haven't done a whole lot of anything else to inspire confidence on a club with World Series aspirations.

Here are the cold, hard facts: the Phillies rank 8th in baseball with a 3.67 ERA among starting pitchers.

But if you take Harry Leroy Halladay from the equation and it's a 6.28 ERA, which would rank as the fifth worst in baseball.

Those non-Halladay starters - we should probably type their names out rather than associate Halladay's good name with such ugly stats - have allowed 27 runs on 47 hits in 38 2/3 innings.

At times, they've looked good. For example, Jamie Moyer finished as strong as any Phils' starter has looked this year, blanking the Marlins for the final five innings and retiring 12 of 13 at one point, six on strikeouts.

But he also put his team in a 5-0 hole before they stepped to the plate.

The non-Halladay starters - Moyer, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and J.A. Happ - have averaged less than five innings per start to go alongside that 6.28 ERA.

"Our starting pitching has to be consistent, along with our bullpen – our pitching has to be consistent," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We've got a real good offensive ballclub and we're going to catch the ball. As good as our pitching can be, that’s going to determine exactly how good we are and how far we can go. That’s the bottom line, really."

The first line of "notes" underneath the box score for Double-A Reading's game at Richmond Friday night is a little jarring.

It reads: "OF Domonic Brown left the game in the bottom of the 2nd inning after suffering a blow to the head. Brown and teammate Ozzie Chavez collided while chasing a fly ball."

The report also said Brown was "day to day." Still, it was worth checking up on...

I just got off the phone with Phillies assistant general manager Chuck Lamar. He said Brown has shown "no ill effects today" and will likely be back in the lineup in a couple of days.

Brown was still set to be checked out by a doctor, but it sounded like a routine, day-after checkup. Lamar reiterated that all signs today where that Brown was fine.

Brown, the Phillies top prospect and rated the 15th best prospect in all of baseball by Baseball America this winter, is hitting .323 with three RBIs in nine games for Double-A Reading.

Brown hit .417 with two home runs and eight RBIs this spring in 11 Grapefruit League games (24 at-bats) during his first major league camp with the Phillies.



(photo: Eric Hartline, Delco Times staff)

We interrupt this riveting 1-1 game between the Phillies and Nationals for something completely unrelated. (Well, related in that it involves a Phillies player, at least).

One of my favorite baseball writers growing up, Jayson Stark, got an interesting take on Cole Hamels from an anonymous scout. Here it is... and it seems to make sense:

"I think he's become cutter-crazy and forgotten what makes him good. He's good when he's using his curveball to change people's eye level, but now, when he's throwing that high cutter, nothing is moving their eyes. To me, he has to be an up-and-down-the-ladder guy. He needs to go up and down the ladder with fastball-curve-changeup and then just show that cutter as a pitch to get in on a right-hander's hands. But he's hardly even using his curveball. If he's going to use a fastball/cutter/change mix, he's a No. 3 starter. If he's a fastball/curve/change guy, he's a No. 2 or a No. 1."

First off, no Cliff Lee today. And Roy Halladay DID NOT try to steal Lee's ring (that's a joke, albeit a bad one).

The only player not on the Phils roster to get his ring today? Tyler Walker, who plays for the team in the other dugout, the Washington Nats.

Here's some more groovy information on the ring:


** “National League Champions 2009” is prominently displayed on the top of the 14 carat white gold ring, with two rubies on either side of “League” to signify back-to-back championships. The top of the ring, consistent with the team’s 1983 and 1993 National League Championship rings, reflects a baseball diamond with the base paths done in rubies and the bases in diamonds.

** The Phillies script logo for the top of the ring was used rather than the club’s signature Phillies “P”. The ring committee felt that the signature “P” should be reserved for years in which the team wins a World Championship.

** The top of the ring contains two baguette diamonds in the 2009 date to signify the two World Championships in The Phillies’ history, to date.

** The right shank, in addition to the player’s name and number, also displays overlapping pennants for 2009 and 2008.

** The left shank reflects the Warren C. Giles National League Championship trophy with the League Championship series result in games won displayed on either side of the trophy – Phillies 4, Dodgers 1.

** The Phillies selected Attleboro, Mass. jewelry manufacturer, Masters of Design, as their partner for the designing and manufacturing of the 2009 National League Championship ring. Masters of Design also worked with the Phillies on the 2008 World Championship ring.

Interesting factoid courtesy of the good people at Stats, Inc: The Phillies have 64 runs through their first eight games, the most since the Cardinals had 70 in 2000.

Number that might not be as pleasing to every Phillies fans' eyes: Kyle Kendrick's ERA through two starts is 17.47.

So will Kendrick, in the rotation with Joe Blanton on the DL with an oblique injury, make his next start?

"Right now we've got Kendrick in there," Charlie Manuel said.

It's worth pointing out that Nelson Figueroa, who would be the other option right now, out-pitched Kendrick Wednesday. Signed off waiver a week ago, Figueroa allowed one run on two hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Kendrick? He let the Nationals take 3-0 and 6-4 leads in the first two innings of the game.

Kendrick allowed six runs on six hits. More troubling: he hit a batter and walked three.

"He had trouble throwing strikes, getting ahead of hitters," Manuel said. "I felt like he could have been more aggressive throwing strikes."

Kendrick's more blunt and succinct analysis: "I was bad tonight – I wasn't aggressive. I was brutal."


Here is where Kendrick is through two starts:

- He has allowed 11 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings through two games.

- 16 of the 32 hitters Kendrick has faced have reached with a walk or a hit.

"I feel great mentally and physically, I'm just not having the results right now," Kendrick said. "My teammates picked me up. The offense did well the bullpen did awesome. I have to do my part."

Kendrick was a revelation in spring training. He was 1-1 with a 1.46 ERA. He allowed 14 hits and four earned runs in 24 2/3 innings and walked just five.

He's already allowed nearly triple the amount of runs in a fifth of the innings he pitched in the spring.

With the Phils off to a 7-1 start, they can probably afford to give Kendrick a little longer of a leash than a losing team might. They also expect Joe Blanton back sometime within the next few weeks.

But a team always needs rotation depth. If Kendrick can't cut it as a starter, the Phils might have to look elsewhere.

(Yes, that means keeping contact with Pedro Martinez, too).

First, possibly the best news Phillies fans could hear all day: GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said the injury Rollins has it less severe than the calf injury Shane Victorino had two years ago. Victorino was out for just two weeks.

Now, hear from Jimmy:


Here is a little of what Jimmy Rollins had to say on the day he was placed on the 15-day DL with a right calf injury that will keep him out 2-4 weeks.

How frustrating is this? "It's unfortunate, it's not something I planned to happen. When I got hurt a couple of years ago we did pretty well in the end results. So maybe there's something positive to look forward to."

How did it happen? "That’s a good question. To tell you exactly what happened, I couldn't tell you. I just know I was getting ready to run a sprint. Right before I took off, I thought somebody was messing around and threw a ball and hit me in calf. I look back and there wasn't a ball there. I ran anyway, hoping it was a cramp or a charley horse or somehitng of that sort. But it wasn't. I came in and laid down in the hallway."

When did you know it was serious? "I knew it didn't feel good. I wasn't sure how serious it was, but, obviously it was a little worse than I was hoping for. I was hoping it was a cramp but… I came in and didn’t say much. I walked right past Charlie and got my glove. (Trainer) Mark (Andersen) came down there, I laid down, seeing if he could rub it out but there was nothing he could rub out or stretch."

This time table they gave you, what do you think? Do you have to be careful because you need your legs...?
"Right now they said 2-4 weeks. That’s what they tell everybody for everything these days, 2-4 weeks. So I'll stick with that 2-4 weeks. But between today and Monday, it's much better. It's not even comparable to that way it felt. So if things continue to progress the way they have over the last 48 hours, hopefully it will be just two weeks."

Lidge last year said he fought to try to avoid DL. Did you? "No, nope. I went through it a couple of years ago, going back and forth, not letting my ankle heal properly in the beginning. When I did it this time, the DL wasn't rhe first thought, I thought maybe it's something that will feel much better tomorrow but when they did the MRI yesterday and told me it was a 1 or 2 grade sprain, and that they usually heal pretty well, why take the chance if you a full, able-bodied person who can go out there everyday and contribute where I couldn't."

Here is a video of Jimmy talkin'.

UPDATED. Here's the official news release from the Phillies:

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today. To take his spot on the 25-man roster, infielder Wilson Valdez had his contract selected from triple-A Lehigh Valley.

An MRI taken yesterday at the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital revealed a Grade 1/Grade 2 strain of the right calf. Rollins suffered the injury during pre-game warm-ups moments before Monday’s game against the Washington Nationals. The DL stint is retroactive to April 13.

“We believe it to be a mild to moderate strain and we’re hopeful it will be a two-to-four week recovery,” said Amaro. “As in all of our injuries, precautions will be taken so that Jimmy is 100% when he returns to the field.”

Rollins, 31, is hitting .391 (9-23) with one home run, three RBI and eight runs scored in seven games so far this season. It is the second time in his career that he has been placed on the DL. He previously spent time on the DL in 2008 with a sprained left ankle.


Earlier, Charlie Manuel basically broke the new on MLB radio:




"With Rollins, evidently he’s got like what they call a between a 2 and 1 degree calf, kinda, tear. And he’s gonna miss some time. Actually, when I go to the ballpark – I’m on my way there right now – we will go over what we’re gonna do with him today. I mean, he’s definitely going to be out some time. How much, I don’t know yet, but he’s hurt pretty bad.”


As for who is Wilson Valdez, click here.

Still no word on Jimmy Rollins... he's likely headed to the DL this afternoon.

Another Phillies All-Star already on the DL had an encouraging performance this afternoon in Florida.

Brad Lidge threw a scoreless inning, facing the minimum three batters, while pitching for Class A Clearwater against the Tampa Yankees at Bright House Field in Clearwater.

Lidge walked the first batter of the game - who was then caught stealing. Lidge struck out the next two batters (looking).

Thanks to twitter.com/threshers, I just saw where Trevor May took over in the second inning, so Lidge's outing was through after one inning.

Although there is one minor league intra-squad not accounted for, it marks the first time Lidge hasn't allowed a run in eight minor league rehab games. Lidge's velocity today is unknown (I'm in Philly, not Florida) but he touched 92 miles per hour over the weekend.

Here's what the Phillies coaching staff said Sunday regarding Lidge:

“We get good reports on him," manager Charlie Manuel said. (Pat) Gillick has seen him pitch and I definitely take his report, I’ll take what he says and what the pitching coaches down there are saying. They’re pretty good evaluators.”

Pitching coach Rich Dubee wasn’t in Florida Saturday, but he watched Lidge’s game on video.

“It came out of his hand better, so there’s progress in that direction. All we have to see is better execution,” Dubee said.

Dubee and the rest of the staff will most likely be pleased with Lidge's execution today.

Jimmy Rollins left the field prior to the first pitch of Monday's home opener with the Washington Nationals after injuring his right calf in warmups. (Players often run and stretch in shallow right and left field, just before the beginning of games).

Rollins was not in the clubhouse was the game ended and reporters were allowed in. His locker was cleared out of street clothes. (Meaning he was dressed and gone).

A TV camera spotted Rollins after the MRI, where he reportedly was hobbling around.

So is he headed to the DL? I wish I could tell you.

While tied down to my laptop and phone all day awaiting results, I finally got an email from the Phillies. Here is what it read, in its entirety:


The following is a statement from Phillies Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. regarding the strained right calf of shortstop Jimmy Rollins:

"Jimmy had an MRI at 2:00 this afternoon. We are reviewing the results of the MRI and will decide on Jimmy's status sometime tomorrow when we have the opportunity to meet as a group."

So that's that. Tune in tomorrow, for as the world turns around Jimmy Rollins and the Philadelphia Phillies...


If Rollins does go to the DL, possible players to fill the roster spot are Cody Ransom, Brian Bocock and Wilson Valdez. All have major league experience.

My guess is Ransom: although he's not on the 40-man roster, there is an open spot for the Phillies to add him. And if there's concern that he first has to pass through waivers... well... that shouldn't be a concern. Why else is he in your organization? They could care less about winning games at Lehigh - everything in an organization revolves around the big league club.

Ransom was in spring training at least two weeks longer than Bocock and he has considerable power (he hit 3 home runs in 37 at-bats in Grapefruit League play, and he already has 2 home runs at Lehigh Valley).

Irregardless, the player who gets called up will be a reserve, used sparingly (think the way Juan Castro has been used before yesterday). Castro would get the bulk (of not all) the playing time if Rollins is out.

(photo by Eric Hartline, Delco Times staff)

Here is a brief summary of a busy day (that began for me with an alarm going of at 3:37 a.m. in downtown Houston - got to make your 6:26 a.m. flight, you know?):

Jimmy Rollins is not playing.

It was announced over the press box public address system that Rollins strained his right calf while stretching in the outfield just before the game began. Juan Castro is playing in place of J-Roll.

We should get more info postgame.


. . . . . . . .


Ryan Howard looks like a different hitter this season, huh? I predicted in spring training that he'd hit .300 this year. He just showed an example why I thought that, taking a 3-2 pitch and fisting it to left field.

Part of the reason for Howard's hitting success? It might be a four-day tutoring session he had with none other than Barry Bonds in January down in Tampa.

"For me, it was about trying to learn. I wanted to learn what it was that he did over his career," Howard said. "I was just sitting back and listening. A lot of the things that he taught me were basically staying with basics for the most part...

"That’s what it’s all about basically playing this game. You try to grow and learn. It’s about learning what you’re strengths and weaknesses are, what you can and can’t do. The faster that you can do that and be able to make those adjustments...sometimes you need somebody else to help you with something that you just can’t figure out."


. . . . . . . . . . .

As for the game: the Phils didn't collect their first hit until the fourth inning. Meanwhile, Cole Hamels has labored again.

Hamels served up a solo home run in the second inning and looked fine otherwise until the fourth inning. In the fourth, Hamels threw 31 pitches. He has recorded one out in the fifth as I type and has accumulated an astounding 83 pitches already.

For a frame of reference, Roy Halladay threw 112 pitches in nine innings yesterday.

On the list of reasons to be concerned with Brad Lidge, I'm not sure which ranks as the most red flag-worthy.

So let's just fire away all of the possible reasons, in reverse-chronological order:

- Despite requests from the media corps, Ruben Amaro Jr. didn't speak about Lidge's most recent outing. Instead, he issued two pieces of info. One, Lidge will throw in another minor league outing on Monday. Two, he said through a team spokesman: "(Brad) is progressing with his arm strength and has reported no pain in his elbow."

- On Saturday night, Lidge made his first minor league rehab appearance since undergoing a cortisone shot on his right elbow on March 30th. It did not go well. Against Class A Dunedin, Lidge gave up four earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.

- Lidge began the season on the 15-day DL. Since the speed on his fastballs wasn't cracking 90 mph yet and he was experiencing some "normal," spring training soreness, Lidge had a cortisone shot on his surgically-repaired right elbow on March 30. Amaro told reporters they "were making too big a deal" of the cortisone shot.

- Lidge didn't spend as much time as Jamie Moyer in the operating room, but he wasn't far behind his left-handed teammate, either. Lidge underwent surgery on his right elbow in November... and then was back in the OR two months later for an operation on his right knee. Lidge has has three different knee surgeries since October 2007.

- In arguably the most pivotal game of the World Series, Game 4, in which the Phils trailed the Yanks 2-1 in the series when the game began, Lidge entered a tie game in the ninth inning and left with an "L" tagged on his name. Lidge gave up a two-out hit to Johnny Damon and then watched the pesky outfielder swipe two bases and score the go-ahead run on a double from Alex Rodriguez. Lidge allowed three earned run in six games (five innings) during the '09 postseason.

- Lidge led all of baseball with 11 blown saves in the 2009 regular season. He was 0-8 with 7.21 ERA in 67 games (58.2 innings); it was the worst ERA among major league pitchers who qualified for the ERA title. He also allowed 11 home runs.



Back to the day before the home opener. Are you concerned? Should the Phillies be?

Ruben Amaro Jr. might be... why else would he not want to talk to the beat writers about his closer?

OK, so I'm not sure why that was the blog title, but, whatever. I couldn't think of anyone else.

Ryan Howard had a pretty good series though (6-for-15, 2HR, 6RBIs), despite not extending his season opening home run string. Similarly, the Phils didn't extend their season opening win streak in today's loss to the Nationals.

It's not like the Phils didn't have their chances - they went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Yikes.

But as Chase Utley once told me, it's better to have runners in scoring position than the alternative. So, the Phils offense is in pretty good shape regardless... the addition of Polanco really does change the complexion of the batting order.

This thought came to mind in the ninth inning today (even if it didn't produce a good result). After both Werth and Ibanez were retired with the game-tying run on second, it had to be a good feeling for Phillies fans to have Victorino up. Last year's that's Pedro Feliz.

In the interests of full disclosure, it was not a good sign, however, to see Raul Ibanez go 1-for-11. This after hitting .130 (7-for-54) in spring training.

But the Phils took 2 of 3 from the hapless Nates. All in all a good start, despite the so-so starts from Cole Hamels and Kyle Kendrick. But one start does not make a season, so we'll wait before saying they're off to slow starts.

I'll leave you with a picture I snapped of the Commander in Chief on Monday. Not bad, eh?

A week ago, in light of losing Joe Blanton to an oblique injury, Ruben Amaro Jr. basically said there were slim pickings among unemployed pitchers.

But apparently that changed after the Mets designated right-hander Nelson Figueroa for assignment over the weekend.

Amaro confirmed that the Phillies claimed the 35-year-old Figueroa after he cleared waivers Wednesday. He will likely join the team and take over the long-man role in the bullpen currently held by Andrew Carpenter.

In two years with the Mets Figueroa went 6-11 with 4.28 ERA in 32 appearances (16 starts). He was 3-8 with a 4.09 ERA in 16 games (10 starts) in '09 with the Mets.

During spring training, Figueroa, a Brooklyn, NY native, had said that if he didn’t start the year in the big leagues he would consider a move to Japan.

If Figueroa's name sounds familiar, it's because he arrived in Philadelphia 10 years ago (was it that long ago??) in the blockbuster, midsummer trade that sent Curt Schilling to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Figueroa, Vicente Padilla, Omar Daal and Travis Lee (I didn't even have to look that up) came over in the July 26th deal that sent the former Phils' ace out west.

Figueroa was 4-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 19 games (13 starts) for the Phillies in 2001. In the eight years since, he's been in the Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Washington organizations, as well as the Mets.

Figueroa was 2-0 with a 4.61 ERA in five games with the Mets during spring training.

Welcome to Phillies Baseball, 2010.

It's funny to think back on how quickly these guys become the "it" team in the city of Philadelphia. It was only a couple of years ago when Opening Day was a national holiday among baseball purists and die-hard fans, but overlooked by the rest of the E-A-G-L-E-S-screaming kool-aid crowd.

It's kind of what a World Championship and keeping all of your high-profile, highly-successful and popular players will do.

While each of the last two Opening Days, coming off playoff appearances, have been pretty darn exciting for Phils' fans, this year's may top both with the official arrival of Harry Leroy Halladay III to the club.

Halladay will take the mound in just over an hour, making his Phillies debut. I've been following this guy's career since he came into the big leagues, and if you don't know it already I'll tell you straight up: there is no better pitcher in baseball.

He is a throwback, a guy that throws complete games like they're no big deal. Think Curt Schilling in his prime, only better and a lot quieter (read: he's not a blowhard).

So it should be fun each of the 30-some times Halladay takes the mound.

Everyone is excited to watch Halladay pitch, including his manager.

Charlie Manuel awoke at 2 a.m. this morning. Yes, 2 a.m. He said he couldn't sleep with the anxiousness of Opening Day and the presence of "a horse" at the top of his rotation for the first time in his tenure with the Phils.

Charlie couldn't get back to sleep, so he watch the Discovery Channel some, showered and arrived to the ballpark at 7:05 a.m. --- six hours before first pitch.

So yes, people are genuinely excited here in D.C.

"I beat Roy here," Manuel said. "I beat Kendrick here, too. Yeah I did. I'll keep on beating them, too. I'll beat them tomorrow and the next day."

Here is more of what Charlie Manuel said before the game:

"I'm really excited about our team. Of course I was excited this time last year, too. We have a chance to be real good and I'm excited about that. we've got some question marks on our pitching staff, at the same time, the players we've got on the field from an offensive and defensive standpoint, we're as good as anyone in the game. I feel like our pitching has to be consistent.

"But as I've said before, it always seems like somebody steps up. And with our chemistry and attitude, the way we look at the game and the way we like to play, I don't see any reason why we can't accomplish our goals and be successful whenever we play. That's how I look at it. We're a day-to-day team, we don't let things bother us. If we lose a game, that game is by us, there's nothing we can do about it and we look forward to the next day of playing.

"We like playing in the moment. We like being relaxed. We do things because we want to, not because we have to, and I think that’s the way to go. People talk about motivation, and how you motivate your team, I think it's looking around, seeing what you've got, what you can accomplish and what you're future can hold. If that's not motivation, maybe you need to look in another direction and get somebody else. That’s how I look at it, how we play."



Here are the lineups:

PHILS:

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Placido Polanco, 3B
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Jayson Werth, RF
6. Raul Ibanez, LF
7. Shane Victorino, CF
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Halladay


NATS:

1. Nyjer Morgan, CF
2. Willie Harris, RF
3. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
4. Adam Dunn, 1B
5. Josh Willingham, LF
6. Adam Kennedy, 2B
7. Ivan Rodriguez, C
8. Ian Desmond, SS
9. John Lannan, P

Kyle Kendrick's "demotion" to the bullpen lasted less than 48 hours.

The Phillies announced this morning that Joe Blanton will miss at least three weeks and as many as six weeks. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild left oblique injury.

The 29-year-old Blanton, who had never been on the DL in six big league seasons, won't throw again for at least one week.

"If all goes well we're looking at the earliest at the third week of April," team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti said. "He's much better today, he's much more comfortable. He's on his anti-inflammatory medicines and we'll continue with him on exercises. We'll hold him off until throwing until next Thursday at the earliest and then we'll progress him as tolerated."

Blanton had been on tap to pitch in the Phillies' third game of the season, following Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels in the rotation. Instead, the Phils will likely call on Kendrick to fill out the rotation.

Kendrick has a 1.66 ERA this spring (four earned runs in 212/3 innings) and has allowed 14 hits while striking out eight and walking four. He was removed from his most recent start, Tuesday in Kissimmee, after throwing two innings and consequently told he was moving to the bullpen so Jamie Moyer could fill out the rotation.

The Phillies will now need both Moyer and Kendrick as starters, meaning there's another hole in an already shot bullpen. Brad Lidge, who had a cortisone shot Tuesday, and J.C. Romero are both expected to be out of action until at least the third week of April.

Blanton, who signed a three-year, $24 million contract extension over the winter, was 12-8 with a 4.05 ERA last season.