Michael Schwimer walked by Michael Stutes following tonight's game in Cincinnati and the veteran rookie gave the newer rookie a confused look.

Schwimer told Stutes what the beat crew found out prior to Charlie Manuel's post game meeting with the media: the Phils optioned Schwimer to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and a corresponding move would come Wednesday.

Like Stutes, some of us were a little confused. No one was getting ready to be activated off the DL and the Phils, who had three days off in four days prior to yesterday, didn't have an overtaxed pitching staff in need of a fresh arm from Lehigh.

So the move had to be related to Wednesday's midnight deadline to make a trade for a player who clears or is claimed off waivers. In addition, a player can only be postseason eligible if he's in an organization before Sept. 1.

So, again, the corresponding move had to be someone acquired from another team.

CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury has uncovered who that someone is: Pirates reserve John Bowker, a left-handed hitting first baseman/outfielder.

Surely not the headline-grabbing name like Jim Thome or Jason Giambi, but with Ross Gload limited (and unproductive since the All-Star break) with a hip injury, perhaps Bowker can give the Phils a better left-handed option off the bench.



According to Salisbury, Bowker is expected to join the Phillies on Wednesday. As long as this deal is official in 23 hours or less, Bowker will be eligible for the postseason roster.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

For whatever reason, Shane Victorino isn't the name anyone puts out there as an MVP candidate when such predictions are prognosticated each spring.

The Phillies obviously have an abundance of big names with resumes worthy of such praise when it's doled out each preseason.

Ryan Howard has won an MVP award and has finished in the top 5 three other times. Chase Utley is a popular pick each spring, perhaps moreso than Howard. Jimmy Rollins has won an MVP. Roy Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, is also a unique name to throw into the mix.

Even though Victorino hit over .290 in both 2008 and 2009, he still couldn't put himself onto the radar ahead of his more popular teammates.

But not anymore.

As the season closes in on September, Victorino has been the most valuable and most productive position player on the Phillies. And since they're the best team in baseball, the best position player on the team is a candidate almost by default.

Victorino's problem, if he has one, is he doesn't have the two, traditional flashy stats that the older generation still values come MVP time: home runs and RBIs. I point that out for the sake of pointing it out, not because I agree with it.

To keep that line of thinking going, I tried to think of an MVP winner in the last five years who was not a "traditional" MVP candidate. Someone who wasn't a power hitter, but was still highly productive.

It didn't take me long to come up with the name: Boston's Dustin Pedroia, who won AL MVP honors in 2008.


Since Victorino's full stat line is staring me in the face here at Great American Ball Park (we're two hours from game time but they're already ready for the leadoff hitter), I'll use that and then post Pedroia's 2008, too.

Victorino in 2011:

.308 BA, .381 OBP, .544 SLG, .925 OPS, 399 ABs, 79 runs, 123 hits, 21 doubles, 14 triples, 15 home runs, 53 RBIs, 41 walks, 17 SBs.


Pedroia in 2008:

.326 BA, .376 OBP, .493 SLG, .869 OPS, 653 ABs, 118 runs, 213 hits, 54 doubles, 2 triples, 17 home runs, 83 RBIs, 50 walks, 20 SBs.

(It should also be noted: both play(ed) Gold Glove caliber defense).

One of the numbers that jumps out to me is "200 hits," simply because it's one of the traditional plateaus for a top hitter (like a 20-game winner on the pitching side, kind of, sort of).

Victorino isn't going to reach 200 hits. But that doesn't necessarily discount his candidacy. What it points out, if anything, is that his numbers have been hurt by two stints on the disabled list.

But the Phillies still have 32 games left in the next 30 days and Victorino's numbers, unlike Pedroia's, are not complete. If he can maintain his lofty numbers in BA/OBP/OPS and reach the 100-run plateau, he will surely be in the final mix when NL MVP ballots are being filled out a month from now.


----------------------------

Here's another Victorino stat, courtesy of the Elias Sports Buraeu:

Victorino's two-run home run in the 8th inning on Monday night was his fifth in Late-Inning Pressure Situations this season, one more than he hit in L.I.P.S. over 7 previous seasons combined (4 HR in 375 AB coming into 2011).


(Late-Inning Pressure Situations are defined by Elias as any at-bat in the 7th inning or later, with the batter's team trailing by 3 runs or less or 4 runs if the bases are loaded.)

-----------------------------

A postscript: I purposely did not include the other NL MVP candidates (Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and Justin Upton are among the worthy) because I was examining Victorino more as an MVP candidate than as an MVP winner.

How did Jimmy Rollins spend close to 48 hours in Cincinnati without a baseball game?

He went shopping, naturally. Rollins took a few teammates to an upscale department store, picked up the bill and came away with some cologne (fun fact: he's bought three difference fragrances since the season began).

But you're far more interested in when Rollins might return to the Phillies lineup, right?


Rollins, who was placed on the DL with a right groin strain a week ago today, said he planned on going through a series of lateral movements before batting practice tonight.

"Some hop, skipping and jumping," Rollins said. "See how I feel. And graduate from there I guess"

Sure enough, both Rollins and Raul Ibanez (left groin) are going through those movements out on the warning track in left field as I type these words. Frankly, they look like they're backround dancers in a M.C. Hammer video.

Rollins said he'd take ground balls (the ones that are hit right at him) if the lateral movement stuff goes well.

Rollins can be activated from the DL a week from tomorrow. It sure sounds like he's going to be ready by then, although the Phillies will surely practice some caution given Rollins' history and the fact that games in October are slightly more important than bringing Rollins back in one week or two weeks from today.

"That first day (after I injured it), (last) Monday, I was like, 'No way,'" Rollins said. "And then Tuesday it was 100 percent better than it was Monday. The next day is usually (the worst)... but after the first day I got worked on, I was, it felt much better than I thought it would. Then I got worked on the next day, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is going pretty good.” And Dr. Ciccotti came in... (did some testing) and I was moving around and it didn’t hurt anymore. He was pretty happy about that."

Rollins didn't sound too keen on going on a rehab assignment before returning, but that isn't entirely his decision, of course.

"If I’m going to get hurt, I’ll do it up here," Rollins said. "But I don’t plan on getting hurt anymore."

Ibanez was out of the lineup for the fifth straight game. But he could be ready to resume active duty Tuesday.

It should be interesting to see how Charlie Manuel works Ibanez back into the lineup, since the guy playing for him, John Mayberry Jr., has arguably been the most productive Phillies hitter in August.

There is no joy in Mudville. It was a lost weekend of baseball at Citizens Bank Park.



The early arrival of Hurricane Irene washed away Saturday afternoon's Phillies-Marlins game about 15 minutes after it was was supposed to start.



Originally the Phils were supposed to play three games - on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.



But on Thursday, they moved up Sunday's game to Saturday afternoon to prep for Irene. On Friday, they postponed Saturday night's game when they learned Irene was scheduled to arrive a little earlier to the party.



Then on Saturday the "series" against the Marlins ended with just one game. A heavy rain began to fall shortly after 11 a.m. and didn't let up.



The Phils will play a split-admission doubleheader on Sept. 15 (first game at 2:35 p.m., second at 7:35 p.m.) to make up the two lost games. That date was originally the team's only day of in September.



To close out the regular season, the Phillies will play 33 games in 31 days.



The pitching schedule going forward:



Monday in Cincy: Cole Hamels

Tuesday in Cincy: Roy Halladay

Wednesday in Cincy: Cliff Lee



Halladay, on tap to pitch Saturday, instead threw an intense, 40-pitch bullpen session indoors.



"I think they just want to go out there and play," said pitching coach Rich Dubee, the only uniformed member of the Phils organization that spoke after Saturday's game was called. "Doc threw a bullpen like he just pitched today. He vented a little in the cage. But he’ll be ready to go Tuesday.



"It’s just pretty hard to get guys slotted in on their fifth day, but we have got to deal with it. We’re not the only people dealing with it, so you just have to move and deal with it the best way you can. We’ll be fine."





When the Phils left Citizens Bank Park Saturday, they were still trying to stay ahead of the hurricane: the plan was to fly to Cincinnati.

About 24 hours after moving Sunday's game to Saturday, setting up a day-night doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park, the Phils scratched that plan, too.

The nightcap of that doubleheader - the game originally scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. - has been postponed until Sept. 15 due to Hurricane Irene's projected arrival in Philadelphia.

The Phillies earlier game Saturday - the 1:05 start that was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon - will go on as scheduled. Weather permitting, of course.

Roy Halladay will start Saturday's game.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee was was noncommittal on who would follow in the rotation. Cole Hamels was originally on tap to come off the DL and start Monday in Cincy; but Cliff Lee was first on tap for Sunday, and then on Saturday before the second game was scratched.

Dubee sounded like he wasn't too keen on pushing Hamels back any further.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phillies still plan on flying to Cincinnati following Saturday afternoon's game. As long as the FAA allows flying through a hurricane, of course.

As the weather forecaster showed the projected trajectory of Hurricane Irene, people at the Jersey shore began making preparations to get the heck out of town.

The Phillies also changed their weekend plans, too.

With the eye of Hurricane Irene scheduled to bare on the Jersey shore beaches and impact the rest of the Philadelphia area, too, come Sunday morning, the Phillies have decided that it would be best to not attempt to play a baseball game that day.

Instead, they'll play two Saturday.

The Phils game against the Marlins originally scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Sunday has been moved up to 1:05 p.m. Saturday. The Phillies and Fish will play a day-night, split-admission doubleheader.

After Roy Halladay takes the mound in the afternoon, Cliff Lee will start the nightcap at 7:05 p.m. All tickets for Sunday's originally scheduled game will be honored for Saturday's afternoon game.

It's the second time this week the Marlins will play a doubleheader that was scheduled ahead of time to avoid Irene. They played two games against Cincinnati in Miami on Wednesday since the storm was scheduled to touch down in South Florida today.

First a bunch of injury updates:

- Jose Contreras won't pitch again in 2011. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said Contreras, who has battled forearm soreness all season, will undergo exploratory surgery before the end of the month. The goal is to have Contreras ready for spring training.

- Ryan Howard is out of tonight's lineup against the Mets. He has bursitis in his left foot. Amaro said Howard would be able to play through it if the Phils were in the playoffs, but they're not and resting him on a Tuesday in August against the Mets (and left-hander Jonathan Niese) isn't going to kill them.

- Raul Ibanez is out of the lineup for the second straight game with a hernia injury. Ibanez might have an anti-inflammatory shot (ala Polanco) but his injury right now is a day-to-day thing.

- Joe Blanton threw a bullpen session Monday. But he's still in the beginning stages of his throwing program, so don't expect him back too soon. (Late September would be an educated guess if he doesn't suffer any setbacks).



Now to Cole Hamels, who was placed on the 15-day DL today. As I suspected earlier, this doesn't have as much to do with Hamels as it does with the makeup of the rest of the team right now (injured position players, starting pitchers on unusually long rest). To illustrate that last point, Roy Halladay has been on an NFL schedule lately: his last two starts were on Sundays and, before today's change, he was on tap for this Sunday.

By placing Hamels on the DL, all the did Phils was simply move him back three days. He'll pitch Monday.

In the time being, the Phils have called up utility man Pete Orr to add depth to a beat-up roster of position players.

Here's how pitching coach Rich Dubee explained the move:


"Cole just threw a bullpen today and was absolutely fabulous. Right now, he’ll be on tap for Monday in Cincinnati," Dubee said. "But he’s great. He threw the ball really, really well today. He’s feeling strong, no arm discomfort. Really good command of everything, no hesitancy. He’d be able to go on Friday, but it’s a way to set up the other 3 or 4 guys.

"Fortunately I had a chance to laugh with those guys last night in the dugout. I’ve had about 15 different rotations set up. You have one guy on long rest, another guy close to normal rest... one guy comes and says, ‘I feel too good for that much rest” and then you change it around and the next guy says, ‘I can’t get that much rest.” So we sat down, and with Raul’s leg what it is, a day or two, we can get an extra player up here. Cole has been rested anyways so it’s not going to hinder him any. It helps us get (Roy) Oswalt, (Roy) Halladay and (Cliff) Lee (on schedule)."




The rotation going forward:

Tonight: Vance Worley
Wednesday: Kyle Kendrick
Thursday: off
Friday vs. Florida: Roy Oswalt
Saturday vs. Florida: Roy Halladay
Sunday vs. Florida: Cliff Lee
Monday at Cincy: Cole Hamels

The Phillies placed Cole Hamels on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon with left shoulder inflammation.

Pete Orr was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to assume Hamels' spot on the 25-man active roster. Hamels was scheduled to throw a bullpen session today; he hasn't pitched in a game since August 12.

Hamels had been tentatively on tap to pitch this Friday.

I'll preface the following by saying I haven't spoken to pitching coach Rich Dubee or manager Charlie Manuel or GM Ruben Amaro Jr. yet - that'll come later today - but the feeling here is that this isn't that big of a deal.


Just look at the following sentence in the press release: "Hamels, who is eligible to come off the disabled list on Sunday August 28, is scheduled to start the Phillies series opener the next day in Cincinnati on August 29."

Since that sentence was in the press release, the feeling here is the Phils thought they could benefit putting an extra player on the roster and giving Hamels a few (three) more days. Since Hamels hasn't pitched since August 12, the DL stint was backdated until August 13.

So Hamels will still be back relatively soon. And with injuries to a few position players lately - Placido Polanco just came off DL, Jimmy Rollins just went onto the DL and Raul Ibanez was scratched from last night's lineup with a groin injury - moving Hamels back allows the Phils to add another position player for a bit of insurance. (Factor in that Ross Gload has been limited all season with a hip injury, too).

There's also this: the never-ending run of rain delays (and one rain out) has thrown the rotation out of routine in the last 10 days. Roy Halladay, for example, had been tentatively schedule to start three straight Sundays, which would be two times two days of extra rest.

Since starting pitchers are creatures of routine and habit, moving Hamels back allows the Phils to keep Halladay, Lee and Oswalt and a more normal schedule.

Last thing: although Hamels would have likely started in Cincinnati either way, it might not be such a bad thing to have his first start off the DL come at Great American Ball Park. Hamels is 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four career regular season starts in Cincy.

And that doesn't include his one postseason start there: on Oct. 10 last season, Hamels clinched the Phils trip to the NLCS when he threw a five-hit shutout at Great American Ball Park in a 2-0 win over the Reds.

As I wrote about 24 hours ago, just when the Phillies get one injured player back, another player goes down. It's been like clock work for the better part of the last two years.

Jimmy Rollins left yesterday's game with a right groin strain. He had an MRI today.

In the modern age of social media, Rollins broke the news himself via twitter (@JimmyRollins11). He announced he had a mild Grade 2 strain and would be going on the 15-day disabled list.

"Gone til September.....," Rollins tweeted. He appeared to suffer the injury on a Gold Glove-caliber play, fielding a ground ball up the middle in the second inning of Sunday's game in Washington.

The Phils haven't announced a roster move, but Placido Polanco is expected to be activated off the DL today, taking Rollins' place on the active roster.

Rollins, who has started 119 of the Phils' 125 games this season, would be eligible to return to action on Sept. 6.

When the news came out earlier this week that Cole Hamels would miss a start, pitching coach Rich Dubee was noncommittal on when his 27-year-old left-hander would get back on the mound.

He joked that we'd know when the helicopter did a flyover.

On Friday afternoon in DC, many of us writer-types suspected Hamels was throwing a bullpen session today. (Hamels inferred the other day that today could be his first day back on a mound).

But Dubee said that wasn't the case; he said Hamels would throw a light bullpen session Saturday.

About 20 minutes later a helicopter flew over.

"That's just a practice run," Dubee said. "He's getting ready for tomorrow."

Dubee said Hamels would throw off the mound twice before returning to the Phillies rotation. In all likelihood, that means Hamels won't be back until the Phils begin a three-game series with the Marlins next weekend at Citizens Bank Park.

As the rotation currently falls, Cliff Lee would be on tap to pitch Monday vs. the Mets, followed by Vance Worley and Roy Oswalt.

Following a day off Thursday, Kyle Kendrick, who has stepped in for Hamels, would be due back up Friday vs. Florida. As long as he doesn't suffer a setback in the next week, it would be a logical move to swap Hamels back in for Kendrick a week from today.

On a day when the Phillies placed on player on the DL (Placido Polanco) and said another would miss his turn in the rotation (Cole Hamels), one of their most indispensable players suffered one of the more painful injuries on a baseball field.

In the sixth inning of an eventual 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks, catcher Carlos Ruiz was hit with a foul ball in his groin area. The game was briefly stopped to let Chooch catch his breath. And he remained in the game.

But on Wednesday afternoon when the Phillies clubhouse opened, the starting lineup was not up yet.

"Is Chooch playing?" manager Charlie Manuel was asked.

"Chooch is getting check out, from where he got hit," Manuel said.

The response was mostly silence - and a little giggling.

"He kind of got hit in the family jewels," Manuel said of Ruiz, who has fathered two sons.

A reporter then asked Manuel if he knew how is catcher was doing.

"I didn't check him out," Manuel said. "I was holding that for you."

Ninety minutes before game time, Ruiz wasn't even at the ballpark yet. He was still at or returning from his doctor's visit.

Brian Schneider is starting in Chooch's place.

UPDATE: Ruben Amaro Jr. said the injury is a "testicle contusion."

Here's the lineup:

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. Hunter Pence, RF
6. John Mayberry Jr., LF
7. Wilson Valdez, 3B
8. Brian Schneider, C
9. Cliff Lee, P

(lineup corrected. Earlier I had Schneider 7th accidentally)

A steady downpour of rain is falling down at Citizens Bank Park while I'm seated in the press box at 11:11 a.m. It's not supposed to let up any time soon, either.

The Phillies have postponed today's series finale with the Nationals. The game will be made up at 1:05 p.m. on Sept. 20 as part of a split-admission doubleheader.

The Harry Kalas statue unveiling ceremony originally scheduled for today will take place this Tuesday instead. Roy Halladay, scheduled to pitch today, will also go Tuesday, with Cliff Lee following him Wednesday.

Both the Nationals and Phillies had scheduled days off Monday. So why not use that day to make up the game?

Because off days are treated like gold in a six-month season when teams play 162 games in a 180-day span. Players prefer playing twice on one day rather than forfeit an off day.

One of Rich Dubee's strengths as a pitching coach is his meticulous planning.

You're just as likely to see him peering down at a binder or at a computer screen - with reading glasses to complete the look - as you are at seeing him hitting the links taking part in his favorite off-day hobby.

Dubee takes great care in maintaining the schedules for his pitchers.

So it only made sense to ask the pitching coach about the subject after Cole Hamels battled through shoulder stiffness in the Phillies 4-2 loss to the Nationals on Friday.


"He's had it before... guys go through stretches where they get tired," Hamels said. It's not a natural thing to throw a baseball the way they do. Shoot, there's not a guy in this clubhouse who hasn't gone through it, a tired or dead arm at some point in a season."

Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee rank 1, 2 and 3 in the National League in innings pitched. At the rate they're each going, they could flirt with 200 innings a piece before the calendar turns to September.

Is there anything Dubee can do to combat that, like add a sixth starter to the mix (Kyle Kendrick?) to give everyone extra rest before what looks like an inevitable postseason run?

"We might," Dubee said. "We might. That's not out of the question."

For now, he plans to take advantage of the three off days in the schedule the Phillies have in a the two-week period from August 11 to August 25.

As for Hamels, Dubee sounds confident his 27-year-old lefty can pitch through it.

"The funny thing is he warmed up in San Francisco and he said, 'Boy my arm is heavy,'" Dubee said. "So we just talked about angling the ball and he goes out and he pitches a gem. Then his side session in between then and now was fabulous. His arm rebounded, felt great. So it's a combination of workload, (traveling), just everything building up."

The Phils just laid out the red carpet as we get ready for the beginning of alumni weekend at Citizens Bank Park, which begins with John Kruk's induction into the Wall of Fame.

When that's over, the Phils, fresh off the best 10-game road trip in franchise history, will take on the Nationals.

So it's safe to say everyone is in a positive mood here at CBP. Except for the guy who has been out for a week.

Placido Polanco, who last played Friday in San Francisco, wasn't in the lineup Friday against the Nationals and sounded unsure if he'd be able to avoid the DL and rejoin the Phillies before the end of the homestand.

Polanco had a cortisone shot Tuesday to combat a sports hernia injury. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said Polly will likely take batting practice Saturday.

Here's what Polly had to say Friday afternoon:

Q: What's your gut tell you - play through it?

Polanco: "I don’t know how much better I’m going to get. That’s why I had the shot, to try to play through it. We’ll see how it goes the next couple days... the next of days I think will be important."

Q: Feel if when you're running?

Polanco: "Running, bending. Like right now talking to you I feel it. It’s like a cramp. It’s better than before."

Q: Any part of you that says maybe I should just have surgery now?

Polanco: "Yeah, a little bit. I know I’m going to need it, so why not get it over with. What’s preventing me from having it? Maybe the fact that we’re playing for something and you can take it for granted. You don’t know when we’re going to be in the playoffs again and we have a pretty good chance, and I don’t want to miss it. It’s fun."


Q: I guess there's always risk in surgery. Ruben said not a guarantee you’d be back in a month. That’s why you aren’t definitely having it?

Polanco: "Yes. That’s why the next couple days will determine whether I can or I can’t. If I can’t, there’s no choice. You just take your chances and try get the surgery. If you have the surgery next week, then we have two weeks in August and four weeks in September. That’s 6 weeks, that’s probably the top. I’ve heard 3 weeks, and I heard six weeks. That takes me to the last two weeks of the season."


Q: Is there a day in your mind when have to have decision?

Polanco: "Without a doubt, Tuesday. I don’t want to keep waiting and waiting and waiting. Another option that I don’t really like is ---but they’re the trainers and they’re the ones that know --- is DL me. That would be 15 days, but again there’s no guarantee that will heal me. I might be feeling good the 15th day or the 16th day, but I’ll come back and run and feel it again and then we lost 2 weeks. It’s a little complicated situation."

Q: Is it something you thought could play through but got worse and worse?

Polanco: "I had the pain (initially) and on a scale of 1-10, it was a 2. In San Francisco, it went to probably 9. Now it’s like 6. Two I can manage, three even. But 6?"

Roy Oswalt threw 90 pitches in six innings tonight at PNC Field in Moosic, Pa.

Afterward, he announced he was "ready to go."

Oswalt, who hasn't pitched in a big league game since June 23, will likely rejoin the Phils ace-stacked rotation this weekend in San Francisco.


The Phils could decide to keep him on his normal day, Saturday, and give Cole Hamels an extra day of rest. Hamels will likely be second in the NL in innings pitched after tonight.

Either way, one of them will pitch Saturday and the other Sunday, in place of Kyle Kendrick.

Oswalt threw pain-free Monday in Moosic. And he looked healthy and strong.

His fastball topped out at 92 MPH and he ended his six innings by getting a strikeout on a 91-MPH fastball.

Oswalt also gained command of his curve ball and changeup nicely as the game went on. He was most encouraged, though, with how hitters reacted to his fastball.

"The way that the guys were responding to the fastball... I only had one guy hit one fastball on the barrel," Oswalt said. "Most of the other guys were hitting jam shots or off the barrel. I could tell the ball was getting on some guys. That's what I was looking for more than anything. I wanted to see if my fastball was coming back to life."

This was just Oswalt's second game in five weeks. His arm strength should only increase with more reps, which is good news for the Phillies and bad news for the rest of baseball.



Click here for video of Oswalt following his game tonight.