For the first time since he has a kid coming up with the Colorado Rockies, Juan Pierre had to win a job in spring training.

The 34-year-old, career .296 hitter signed a minor league contract with the Phillies this winter with no guarantees of a roster spot. Pierre had an out clause in that contract (March 30), but he put a lot of faith in his chances of breaking camp with the Phillies when he signed in late January.

A day after receiving the news that he would be added to the major league roster, Pierre was in the leadoff spot of the Phillies lineup for the first night game of the spring against the New York Yankees in Tampa.

"I know I was a long shot, being one of the last if not the last position player to sign," Pierre said. "Just to get an opportunity to come in and get some spring training at-bats, that's all I could ask for. I guess I did well enough for them to like me and keep me around for a while. I'm just thankful and grateful for them calling."

Pierre is hitting .313 (15-for-48) with a .377 on-base percentage in 23 games. With John Mayberry Jr. struggling mightily this spring (.188/.243/.490 in 25 games), Pierre may play more than many would have expected coming into the spring.

But Pierre, who hit .328 with a .414 OBP in 69 games as a reserve for the Dodgers in 2009, said he's comfortable in a backup role, too.

"I've done it before. I have experience with that," Pierre said. "Whatever role they want me to be in, I'll be prepared and ready for whenever they call me. That's what I can control. If I'm ready to go mentally and physically, I like my chances."


TONIGHT'S LINEUP:

1. Juan Pierre, LF
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Jimmy Rollins, SS
4. Jim Thome, DH
5. Hunter Pence, RF
6. Placido Polanco, 3B
7. Ty Wigginton, 1B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Freddy Galvis, 2B


Scheduled to pitch:

Antonio Bastardo
Jonathan Papelbon
Chad Qualls
Kyle Kendrick
Julio Rodriguez

The Phillies will leave Florida on a plane bound for Philadelphia in about 75 hours. (But who's counting?)

Barring a busy weekend, there's a very good chance Cole Hamels will leave Florida without a new contract. Hamels, who can be a free agent at the end of the 2012 season, talked about his current contract status after pitching against the Rays Thursday in Clearwater.


Q: Are you upset or not surprised no contract done:

Hamels: "I haven’t been thinking about it at all. It’s something where it’s going to be one of those things that’s going to linger until something happens. But fortunately, with the way I go out every single day and the approach I take is just to go out and get in good shape and get my workouts in and do everything I could possibly do right on the field and then just things will take care of itself."


Q: What's your reaction to people saying Cole likes Magic Johnson buying the Dodgers?

Hamels: "I didn’t know Magic Johnson knew anything about baseball. I’m kind of glad, I guess, that everything can move on. It’s nice to know that all major league teams have a functioning ownership and things are more clear for everybody."


Q: But how does if affect your situation?

Hamels: "That’s not what I’m thinking about."


Q: How would you categorize the negotiations this spring?

Hamels: "I don’t know. It’s all in Ruben’s hands. If I just get in good shape and I play, you know, the Phillies will make offers and we’ll counter I guess until things work the way they’re need to. We’ll go about it and let you guys know if it happens."


Q: Were you hoping you’d leave here with a deal when you got here?

Hamels: "No, it’s like I said, I never put any sort of deadline on anything I guess I have until the start of spring training next year. I guess that’s what it’s down to. I’ve got 162 game sot play and then postseason and then get to the World Series. And that’s always been my focus, to be in the best possible shape to win a World Series again. Because that’s just who I am. I just want to win and play my best with my teammates. Winning a championship for the city of Philadelphia is the only focus I’ve ever had."

Mike Stutes' name is still listed as the first scheduled to take the mound on Friday in Tampa against the Yankees. But he won't be pitching.

Stutes is experiencing soreness in his pitching shoulder, but doesn't think it's something to worry about.

"Just a little stiffness in the shoulder," Stutes said Thursday morning. "It’s been nagging me for maybe like a week or so. At first I thought it was just a little dead-arm stint, a little spring training stuff. It continued to progress, but it’s nothing to really be alarmed about."

Is Opening Day in jeopardy?

"No," Stutes said.

After opening eyes in camp a year ago - and eventually earning a permanent spot in the Phillies bullpen before the end of April - Stutes has struggled this spring. He's allowed a run in five of his nine outings, and in four of his last five.

But Stutes expects to get back on the mound before the Phils leave Florida on Sunday night and have the chance to solidify his spot in the pen. If the Phils take 11 pitchers, he could be competing for that spot with David Herndon and left-handers Joe Savery and Raul Valdes.

"I’ve never any shoulder problems before. I don’t really see it being any sort of a problem.," Stutes said. "It’s 2-3 days. It’s just right now, we have what, a week before Opening Day. If you try to press through it, and it doesn’t get any better, than I miss time during the season. I’d rather take 3 days off now and be ready for Opening Day and hopefully not miss any time at all during the season."


Speaking of the Phillies bullpen....


Do you remember the bad guy from every 80s movie?


The wise-ass, tough-guy jock with the blond hair? Yeah, he's the Phillies closer this year.

Jose Contreras remains on target to return from elbow surgery by Opening Day.

With Little Truck (his son) watching, Big Truck struck out the first batter he faced on three pitches in a minor league game at the Carpenter Complex on Wednesday afternoon.

Things didn't necessarily go as smooth thereafter: Contreras had a lengthy, second at-bat end in a walk; the third batter hit a sharp single to center, but the center fielder came up strong with a throw to third to nail the lead runner; the fourth batter socked an RBI double to right.


The fifth and final batter Contreras faced bounced into a ground out at third.

"I feel good, I feel strong," said Contreras, who said he was scuffling through location issues Tuesday.

Contreras was clocked between 90-92 miles-per-hour; his fastball averaged out at 91. He said he's on tap to pitch again Saturday and Monday.

Both of those games are also on minor league fields in Clearwater. Why three straight minor league games to end the spring?

As pitching coach Rich Dubee said Tuesday, it's a technical thing. You see, if the Phillies choose to put Contreras on the disabled list to begin the season, there are major league rules about how long you can backdate that DL stint.

The earliest date any MLB team back backdate a player is March 26. Contreras last pitched in a major league spring training game on March 25.

By pitching him in three straight minor league games, the Phils are allowing themselves the option to begin Contreras on the DL, backdated to March 26... which would allow him to return April 10 and only miss four regular season games.

It's no guarantee the Phillies will go that route; but since he did have elbow surgery in September and didn't throw in a major league game here until March 18, they're giving themselves the opportunity to take it slow.

The Phillies sent three players out of major league camp today: right-handed pitchers Scott Elarton and Brian Sanches and left-hander Jake Diekman.

With nine days left until Opening Day, 37 players remain.

Of course, only 25 players can be on an active major league roster, so between now and the time the Phils arrive at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, 12 players will have to be subtracted from that mix.

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will begin the season on the disabled list, barring a miracle. So will Michael Martinez. Justin De Fratus is throwing off the mound today after battling elbow soreness early in camp and hasn't pitched in a game since last fall. Subtract those four and we're down to 33.

The Philllies will not carry more than two catchers. Since Brian Schneider would figure to be a shoo-in for the backup job, subtract Tuffy Gosewisch and Eric Kratz. 31.

Figuring out the final six has a lot to do with how the Phils decide to handle the first week of the season. Since they have two days off early and have already all but guaranteed that fifth starter Joe Blanton will begin the season in the pen (they simply don't need a fifth starter until mid-April), let's take a guess that they decide to go with 11 pitchers (and not the usual 12) on Opening Day.

The logic: they only need four starters and with three infielders out (Howard, Utley and Martinez) the Phils could use a deeper bench, too.

If the Phils go with a six-man bullpen, it will include Jonathan Papelbon, Kyle Kendrick, Chad Qualls, Antonio Bastardo and (as long as he remains on track) Jose Contreras. Four players remain for the final spot: right-handers Mike Stutes and David Herndon and lefties Raul Valdes and Joe Savery.


Of that trio, only one of those names was on last year's postseason roster: Stutes. So we'll give him the leg up on the competition.

If we're erasing the other three from the Opening Day roster, we're now down to 29. Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco, Carlos Ruiz, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino are ever day players and, for figuring-out-roster purposes, we're also assuming both Ty Wigginton and John Mayberry Jr. are in the lineup on April 5, as the Phils face Pittsburgh lefty Erik Bedard.

On to the makeup of the bench.

The locks: Schneider, Jim Thome, Laynce Nix and (for now) Pete Orr. Orr, who is starting at shortstop today, is the only middle infielder left in camp that won't be in the Opening Day lineup (Rollins, Galvis).

The candidates for the last two bench spots: outfielders Juan Pierre, Scott Podsednik and Lou Montanez, corner infielder Hector Luna and utility man Tim Kennelly.



Since they have the most major league experience, Pierre and Podsednik jump out as the two obvious players left to fill out the roster. But, if Wigginton and Mayberry figure to start more often than not in the absence of Howard, the Phils would play most games without a right-handed bat on the bench (both Pierre and Podsednik are left-handed hitters).

Because of that, the right-handed hitting Montanez and/or Luna could edge out either Podsednik or Pierre.


Here is one man's guess of the makeup of the Opening Day, 25-man roster:

1B Ty Wigginton
2B Freddy Galvis
SS Jimmy Rollins
3B Placido Polanco
C Carlos Ruiz
CF Shane Victorino
LF John Mayberry Jr.
RF Hunter Pence

1B Jim Thome (LH)
OF/1B Laynce Nix (LH)
C Brian Schneider (LH)
INF Pete Orr (LH)
OF Juan Pierre (LH)
OF Lou Montanez (RH)


RHP Roy Halladay
LHP Cliff Lee
LHP Cole Hamels
RHP Vance Worley

RHP Jonathan Papelbon
RHP Chad Qualls
LHP Antonio Bastardo
RHP Mike Stutes
RHP Kyle Kendrick
RHP Jose Contreras
RHP Joe Blanton



The first day the Phils need a fifth starter is Sunday, April 15. So figure a swap for a bench player (Montanez) for a reliever (Herndon) that day.


*As Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports pointed out this morning, the Podsednik vs. Pierre battle could be solved according to the opt-out dates for their minor-league contracts. Since Pierre can opt out earlier (March 31 vs. Podsednik's June 1), the Phils simply have more time to make a decision on Podsednik.

Thus, Pierre on the projected Opening Day roster.



** As Matt Gelb of the Inquirer just mentioned via his twitter account (@KingKoala), there's also a pretty good chance that a player not currently in camp makes it onto the Phillies Opening Day roster. I penciled in Orr as the utility infielder only by default; there aren't any other middle infielders in camp.

The Phils are almost certainly looking for infield help, and a right-handed hitting, veteran infielder capable of playing the middle infield positions (hi, Ryan Theriot) would almost make too much sense.

Chase Utley will not be ready on Opening Day.

Chase Utley does not know when he'll be ready.

Chase Utley, however, will not have season-ending surgery, nor will he retire because of the chronic pain in his knees that has sidelined him from playing at all for the second straight spring.

Utley was a bit animated when talking to reporters to, perhaps because he enjoyed dispelling the wild rumors... that have resulted from the mysterious way he and the Phillies have gone about not talking about his knee condition and/or his availability this spring.

Here is everything Utley had to say this afternoon:

"I was in Phoenix meeting with a physical therapist by the name of Brett Fischer for about four or five days, just to get some better ideas on how I can continue to move forward. I have a better idea now on how my body is supposed to move compared to how it’s moving at this time, and I think we have something pretty good for the future."



Q:: Which is?


Utley: Obviously, I’m not going to be ready for opening day. I don’t really have a timeline on when I will be available. I will take this process fairly slow because I think it’s important to get everything around my knees working correctly. And I think it’s going to take a little bit of time. I’m disappointed. I’m upset. I’m not happy that I’m in this situation right now, but I’m not going to let that deter me and get me down. I think that going out to Arizona to talk to Brett, we came up with some better things to do. Some things I’ve already been doing. Some other stretches, some other manual therapy, some other things that I think will definitely help.


Q: Chronic problem you’ll always have to mange?


Utley: I think once we get everything around my knees working correctly, I don’t know if it will be a problem. I’ve already seen benefits over the last four or five days from doing some new exercises. I’m very optimistic this is going to turn out well. But again it’s going to take a little time and I have to do this right. I think it’s important, not only for this year, but for the rest of my career. I’m 33 years old. I know some people think that’s old, but I still feel like I have a lot of baseball left in me.


Q: How is this different and similar to last year?


Utley: It’s fairly similar. My right knee last year was the knee that bothered me. And my left knee felt pretty good. This year it’s the complete opposite. My right knee feels very good, which is in my mind a positive. But now my left knee is a little upset. So we made some changes last year to my right knee. It worked because it feels strong. It feels good. Now I have to make similar changes to my left knee. Again, it’ll take a little time to see how it goes.



Q: Better or worse than last year? If better, back earlier than last year?


Utley: Again, I’m not going to put any type of limit on this. I’m going to kind of go at the pace that my knee tells me. If it feels good I’m going to continue to forward. If it starts to act up I’m going to slow it down a little bit. But as far as pain, last year I was in more pain.


Q: Things break down over time?

Utley: I don’t know if that’s actually the case here. There’s a little wear and tear but I think if I can get things moving correctly around my knees, it’ll (improve).


Q: Replacing anything?

Utley: “I’m not looking at any surgery. I’m not looking at any type of injections. I’m looking at a daily routine that consists of manual therapy, strength training, mobilization of the joints.”


Q: Different guy than last year?

Utley: “Brett came – I heard a lot of good things about Brett and he works with a ton of athletes, especially ones that are coming back from certain issues. I felt it was an opportunity for me to pick his brain and see what he had to say. Some things we talked about I’ve already been doing, but there were some things he added that I think will definitely move me in the right direction.”


Q: When did become issue?

Utley: “This offseason I felt pretty good coming into camp, I felt pretty good but the more I tried to progress, it became just a little bit more uncomfortable. I slowed it down a little bit, tried to ramp it up again, and once I ramped it up again I knew it wasn’t moving that great. So at that point I decided to seek his advice.”


Q: Different offseason?

Utley: I put the baseball cleats on and then it’s a different feel. I thought I had a good program going into this offseason and I’m happy with some things and there are things I’m disappointed with. It’s a work in progress but I think by having some new ideas it’ll be beneficial.”



Q: Surgery?

Utley: “Again, unless someone tells me there’s a surgical option that’s 100 percent, I’m not really interested in that. I think I can make adjustments with my body without surgery.”


Q: Why left knee now?

Utley: Not necessarily but it is what it is. It’s the same similar feeling as last year, not quite as bad as my right one was, but it’s uncomfortable enough to keep me off the field. My right one’s ready to rock. The left one is not right at this point, but I think the game plan that we started, I think we’re moving in the right direction.”


Q: Name for condition?

Utley: “I think there’s some misunderstandings. I don’t have patellar tendinitis. It’s called chondromalacea, which is a roughening of the cartilage underneath the patellar. And it’s not that bad. It’s not bad enough to have microfracture surgery. It’s not bad enough to end my career. It’s an issue I’m going to have to deal with. There’s a lot of wear and tear in this game, and I just have to get things around my knee to move better to take a little pressure off my knee.”


Q: If you manage it properly...

Utley: I think I can actually get it to go away, to be honest. My right knee, like I said, feels great.



Q: You'll be back this year right?

Utley: I'm not going to put any time on it, but I think at the pace we're going and the changes I've made in the past three or four days, it looks positive. I anticipate playing this year, absolutely, and contributing.


Q: How does this change how hard you can play the game?

Utley: I have to prepare differently, that's about it.


Q: Talked to other athletes who have dealt with this?

Utley: There's a few guys, I pick their brains. But everybody is a little different and you have to treat everybody as an individual. But by seeing Brett and doing some of the exercises I've been doing this offseason and continuing with that, it'll take a little bit of time. But I think it'll work.


Q: Optimistic?

Utley: Without a doubt. There was a week there were I was frustrated. I'm still a little frustrated, but I think I'm more educated now on how I need my body to move. There are things we're starting to do to allow me to do that.


Q: Worried?

Utley: Maybe a little worried. Disappointment. Frustration. Those are things I was. But I'm not looking for anybody to feel sorry. If anything, I'm looking for a little support here. I think we're onto something. I'm not happy that I'm not going to be on the field right away with my teammates, but we have a good squad. We have a good pitching staff. We have some veteran leaders who will allow it to not affect us.


Q: What about this wild speculation, like retiring?

Utley: Oh. I didn't hear that one. I'm definitely not retiring. When I went out to Arizona, I asked Ruben not to say where I was going because I didn't think it was necessary for people to know. I appreciate the organization for respecting my wishes in that regard.

Everyone knows the last two or three years we've had to deal with some injuries. We were able to overcome that. I don't think this year is any different.


Q: Will your career be shorter because of this issue?

Utley: Not necessarily. I'm not in the ideal position to make that statement, but I really believe I can get past this and contribute for a while. It's going to take a little time. One thing I cannot do is rush it. The more I do not listen to my knee, the worse it's going to become.


Q: What do you think of Freddy Galvis?

Utley: I've talked to him a little bit. I'll talk to him a little bit more. But Freddy's a good baseball player. He's young but he has a lot of instincts and a lot of ability. Defensively, he's outstanding. And he can swing the bat. He's starting to swing the bat a little better. He's fun to watch. He's a good kid.


Q: Are you hitting right now?

Utley: I’m not hitting right now, I’m doing things in the training room to build strength, to get more flexible in all areas. Once I feel comfortable enough to hit, I’ll hit.


Q: Why did you feel need to be more forthcoming… or didn’t you feel that need?

Utley: I did not feel the need. But there are a lot of rumors out there, which I don’t know how they get started. I understand you guys look for things to right about, but now you have the information so there’s no need to make things up or to speculate.



Q: When did you realize Opening Day wasn’t going to happen. Preferred to see specialist earlier in retrospect?

Utley: I felt like I did what I needed to do. It was a little uncomfortable in the past, I had taken it easy and done some exercises and started to feel a little bit better. This year, it didn’t quite do what I anted it to do. So I took my time… again rushing it isn’t the way to treat my issues. It’s to take time, to be smart about what I’m doing. I’m not only getting ready for this year but hopefully for a lot more years.


Q: How did you approach different this offseason?

Utley: I took it a little easier as far as loading my legs, I thought that would be beneficial. I think it was beneficial with my right one, my left one didn’t respond for some reason. That’s why I’m working right now to change little things up, to make small adjustments and hopefully they pay off.


Q: Last year they said right knee. Did this just pop up. Or always both knees?

Utley: Right knee was the culprit last year, Maybe occasionally there would be an ache or pain in my left one, but not to the point where it would keep me out of the game.


Q: So left knee became a problem...

Utley: This spring


Q: Genetic issue?

Utley: “No, not that I know of. I think being an athlete, there’s some wear and tear but you also have to make sure your joints are moving correctly and everybody’s doing their role in your lower half. Right now, they’re not doing all their roles. But I’m going to figure it out soon enough.”


Q: Knowing body help?

Utley: “I think the things I’m doing in the training room will go onto the field. I think we’ve got to start out slow, slow, small movements and continue to progress and get stronger and build strength in those areas that you’re not used to being in and hopefully that will transition to the field.”

The Phillies will break camp a week from today and Chase Utley, for the second straight spring, has not appeared in a Grapefruit League game. Utley will address reporters prior to the start of today's game, six days after leaving camp to have his tendonitis-stricken knees examined by a specialist.


What will he say? Probably not as much as you might think. My guess is it'll be a lot like last year, where the injury and his timetable continue to be clouded in mystery. Utley will say that he's continuing to make improvements in his rehab and that he hopes to get back on the field as soon as possible.

Again, just a guess.

While we wait, here's an Utley Knee Injury Timeline:


-- Feb 25, 2011: A day after the Phils first exhibition game against Florida State, which Utley missed with "general soreness," the second baseman wouldn't go into specifics about where the injury was even located, let alone it's severity.

-- Feb 27, 2011: Following a Sunday afternoon game against the Yankees, Utley's condition is revealed: right knee tendinitis. Utley said he's rather miss a few games in spring training than in the regular season.

-- March 28, 2011: On the day the Phillies break camp, Utley said he has made progress but wouldn't put a timetable on when he would play.

-- April 14, 2011: Utley runs.

-- April 20, 2011: Nearly a month into the season, Utley says his rehab will continue to "be a slow process."

-- May 10, 2011: Utley begins official rehab in Clearwater, Fla.

-- May 20, 2011: Utley returns to Philadelphia.

-- May 23, 2011: Utley is activated off the disabled list after missing the season's first seven weeks.

-- Feb. 23, 2012: Upon reporting to camp, Utley said his right knee feels "significantly better," is on board with Charlie Manuel's plan to take it slow early on in spring training.

-- March 19, 2012: After Utley's absence continues to be a mystery, Ruben Amaro Jr. announces that Utley's rehab has reached a plataeu" and that Utley would be leaving camp to see a specialist about his ailing knees. It's the first time the Phils have said Utley has an issue with both knees. He also said Utley was "doubtful" for Opening Day.

-- March 25, 2012: Utley plans to address reporters.

Phililes pitching coach Rich Dubee unveiled the order of his starting rotation.

When the season begins on April 5 in Pittsburgh, Roy Halladay will get the ball. The Opening Day start will be the third straight for Halladay since he arrived in Philadelphia and his 10th straight overall.

No major league starting pitcher has made more consecutive Opening Day starts.

Who follows Halladay?


Cliff Lee. And then Vance Worley. And then Cole Hamels.

Why Worley before Hamels? Because Hamels, the longest-tenured Phillies pitcher who hasn't ever pitched an Opening Day, gets the nod for the home opener, on Monday, April 9 against the Miami Marlins.

“I think it’s always an honor to be in a position to do leading off the season, especially if it’s at home," Hamels said earlier this spring. " I’ve always wanted to, and we’ll keep waiting for the opportunity.”

So then Joe Blanton, right? No so fast my friend.

If Halladay were to follow Hamels, he would be doing so on an extra day of rest. It's unlikely they sit Halladay for too long. It's likely he pitches Tuesday, April 11 at Citizens Bank Park, the day after an off day.

The Phils have two off days in the season's first week (on Friday, April 6 and Tuesday, April 10) and could go with a four-man rotation to keep Halladay, Lee, Worley and Hamels on regular rest.

It looks like the Phils technically would not need a fifth starter (Blanton) until Sunday, April 15.

Domonic Brown sat at his locker in street clothes on Friday morning.

He sat with a bag packed with his belongings at his side. He sat and chatted with veteran outfielder Juan Pierre.

And when the media shuffled over, a particularly dejected Domonic Brown answered questions about the news of the morning: he was optioned to minor league camp.


"Life goes on, I'm going to go down there, play hard and that's it," said the 24-year-old Brown, the team's long-time top hitting prospect.

For the second straight spring, Brown had trouble getting on the field in Grapefruit League play.

Brown suffered a right thumb sprain earlier this spring. Last week he complained of neck pain; he hasn't appeared in a game since March 14.

When he did play, Brown showed off his promise at the plate: he hit .300 (6-for-20) with two triples and a home run. But his defense in left field was spotty at best; his first injury (the thumb sprain) when he fell after taking a bad route to a ball.

"I was kind of not expecting it, but keeping it in the back of my mind," Brown said of getting sent down. "We got a lot of big free agent guys. John Mayberry has been playing well. They just told me they want to see me out there every day and Triple-A is the best spot for it.

"I've been through a lot these past couple years, a lot, more than some veteran guys. I think i can deal with it, I think I can handle it and go down there and play hard."

Jim Thome slapped on the eye black, picked up his glove and trotted out to Robin Roberts Field, behind the two more heavily populated fields where games were being played at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater Thursday.

The 41-year-old first baseman-turned DH-turned first baseman again played seven innings in an intrasquad minor league game. Thome got plenty of chances Tuesday.


In one inning, back-to-back ground balls found him. In total, Thome saw five balls hit his way; he fielded each one of them cleanly.

And, for good measure, he launched an RBI double, too.

"My body is getting to the point where I’m starting to adapt to playing defense," Thome said.

Thursday marked Thome's fourth minor league game at first base this spring. It was his first game since playing in back-to-back contests Saturday and Sunday.

So what's next? Is a major league game in the near future?

"Close, we're getting close," Thome said. "After seven innings, I’ll be curious tomorrow to see how I feel. I think we’ve done this the right way. We’ve progressed, Charlie (Manuel) has been great with how he’s handled this... He makes the decisions... I would say over the next three, four days I’ll get over here (at Bright House Field). That’d be good. We’ll have to talk about that. I’d like to get one more game down here, maybe even two, whatever. Obviously Charlie is the boss so we’ll go off of him."

Ryan Howard resumed baseball activities this afternoon in Clearwater.

A week after restarting his rehab, Howard was back from a quick trip to Baltimore where Dr. Mark Myerson, who performed his October left Achilles' surgery, gave him the go-ahead to get rid of his boot. Howard had been in a boot for 24 days, since the Feb. 27 surgery to remove an infection from the site of the surgical wound.


Howard showed up today bootless, and then took some ground balls while seated on a stool.

Here's a little more from Howard himself.


Q: So, no more boot, eh?

Howard: "This new invention called a left shoe. It’s nice. It’s nice. It’s good to be out of a boot. I’m excited. I’m trying to make little miniature goals. The first goal is to get out of the boot. Goal achieved."

Q: The incision healed completely?

Howard: "It’s not healed all of the way, there’s still a little bit to go, but the doctor thought it was enough to be able to get out of the boot, so that’s the first step."


Q: What have you been cleared to do?

Howard: "Just to do a little bit more stuff, kind of pick up some more strength building stuff, still doing bike, leg lifts, leg raises… some of the same stuff I’ve been doing already, but just adding a little more to it."


Q: Baseball activities, too?

Howard: Yeah, I’ve been going out…. until the wound closes all the way up, I’m just being cautious. But I was able to go out and take some ground balls on a stool out there. And still playing catch, all of that stuff."


Q: Any idea of when you can hit?

Howard: "Not yet, not yet. Like I said, the first thing is getting the wound to heal up all the way. Once that's closed up, then probably start to swing."


Q: How much did being in a boot set back your return?

Howard: "I mean, I don’t think it really set me back. Because I think the biggest concern was my tendon and the tendon was never an issue. The tendon was repaired in October. So even with me not doing what I was doing before from a rehab standpoint, the tendon is still getting stronger, a little bit every day. So now I can get back to doing more strength-training stuff. So I don’t think it was really a setback at all."


Q: The Phillies had said a best-case scenario was maybe you could be back in May. You think that still applies?

Howard: "Maybe. Maybe. We’ll see. The whole big thing has been to make sure everything is healed up and that everything is 100 percent. Just to make sure we don’t have any setbacks or any reoccurrences of anything. So just taking those precautions."




Q: Do you have a target date?

Howard: "Not really. I mean, my biggest thing is just making sure it’s 100 percent."


Q: How far are you away from baseball shape, aside from the actual injury?

Howard: "You know, I don’t think I’m very far from baseball shape. It’s just getting out there and kind of a matter of repetition. Getting out, taking ground balls every day. And when I can hit, getting out and hitting every day. And then going from there, building up the strength again to be able to run and do all of that stuff, do all of the movements, cutting and all of that. I don’t think it would be too, too far from that."



Q: How bout from team standpoint? No you, no Chase Utley to start season. That’s a lot of offense.

Howard: "I’m not worried about the team. I’m not worried about the team. This isn’t the first set of injuries that we’ve had, it’s not going to be the last. We’ve dealt with injuries over the last three, four years. We’ve never been that team to make excuses. We’ve got a lot of capable guys. People want to look at it how they want to look at it, but we’ve got a great group of guys and it all starts here in spring training, they can go out, hold it down and get the job done."


There's also some video of Howard chatting with the media here.

Ryan Howard walked into the home clubhouse at Bright House Field Thursday morning with black Under Armor sneakers. Two of them.

When he dressed out of his civilian clothing and into his Phillies workout gear, Howard switched out the casual black footwear for red, sneakers. Two of them.

"No boot now?" Shane Victorino said while watching from a couple locker stalls down.

No boot indeed.


It's unclear if Howard will work out today without a boot, but the fact that he didn't have one on when he arrived and didn't change into one when he prepped for today's activities was worth noting.

Howard is three weeks and three days removed from the Feb. 27 procedure he had in Baltimore, where an infection was removed from the site of his left Achilles' surgical wound. Other than playing catch, he hasn't taken part in baseball activities in nearly a month -- since Feb 25.

Howard returned to active duty - regular workouts in Clearwater - a week ago (March 14).

Although he's not likely to return to the Phillies lineup before June, his presence without a boot was encouraging. Especially for a team that is also preparing to begin the season without Chase Utley, too.


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


Other notable news from Camp Clearwater this morning:


--Placido Polanco is not in today's lineup. Polanco sprained his left ring finger Saturday and hasn't played since.

He plans to take swings today.

"It's not (that I'm) playing it safe," Polanco said. "Once I can play, I'm going to be out there."


--Antonio Bastardo last pitched Sunday. His next outing isn't scheduled for Saturday, although he said he was originally on tap to throw today.

Bastardo said he was tested recently for dehydration and is being treated for it. He has experienced tightness in his forearm, which is related to the dehydration.

"They tested me, (and my results) were the worst it could be," Bastardo said.

He plans to play catch today.


--Domonic Brown hasn't played since March 14 and he's not in the lineup today, either. Brown, who was suffering from neck pain, said Tuesday that he was good to go.

Just a though: since he's almost certainly going to begin the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, it's probably a matter of time before Brown is shipped to minor league camp.



Today's lineup (vs. Jays in Dunedin):

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Shane Victorino, CF
3. Hunter Pence, RF
4. Ty Wigginton, 3B
5. Laynce Nix, LF
6. John Mayberry Jr., 1B
7. Carlos Ruiz, C
8. Juan Pierre, DH
9. Freddy Galvis, 2B

Cliff Lee is pitching vs. the Jays.

Meanwhile, Kyle Kendrick will start in a minor league game this afternoon in Clearwater.

The list of injured Phillies infielders grew one name longer Tuesday. Michael Martinez broke a bone in his right foot.

Martinez, who was likely to make the team as the sure-handed utility infielder, will almost certainly begin the season on the disabled list alongside Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Martinez fractured the fourth metatarsal when he was hit by a pitch from Baltimore's Jim Johnson in the seventh inning.


Although he stayed in the same and scored the go-ahead run, Martinez sat nervously at his locker afterward, awaiting X-ray results. When asked specifically where he got hit, Martinez pointed to the front of his right foot, above his last toe.

The Phils did not issue a timetable on Martinez, but he will certainly not be able to return by Opening Day.

While Freddy Galvis was pretty much anointed the Phillies starting second baseman in place of Utley, the Phillies have no other healthy body in camp who has played shortstop this spring. The only other middle infielder? Pete Orr.

The Phils reassigned Kevin Frandsen to minor league camp following Tuesday's game.

With infielders dropping by the day, you imagine general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is doing his due diligence in looking for outside help to fill the voids left by his injury-ravaged players.

The Phillies usually waste little time in announcing their Opening Day starter.

They haven't done so yet this spring. Of course, they've had a lot going on. (See injuries to: Howard, Ryan and Utley, Chase).

But it's probably also because this isn't rocket science. Barring an upset, Roy Halladay will take the ball when the Phillies begin the season on April 5 in Pittsburgh. It will be Halladay's 10th consecutive Opening Day start, the longest active streak in baseball.


Halladay starts in Sarasota against the Orioles today. He's on the schedule to pitch again Sunday in Clearwater, against the Orioles again.

Count out the days and Halladay will have one more (likely abbreviated) start in Florida (March 30) and then he'd get an extra day off before the season opener at PNC Park on April 5.

Of course, it should be just as fun to watch Halladay pitch today as it will be on Opening Day. It's Halladay's first chance to take the mound since the foxsports.com report had scouts questioning his velocity and effectiveness this spring.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee got his first chance to address those scouts yesterday. It was probably the best Dubee quote to date.

“Roy is absolutely fine,” Dubee said. “I kind of thought (those scouts) better worry about their own team having to face Roy eventually.”

------

Four other Phillies pitchers were sent to minor league camp today. Right-handers Phillippe Aumont and Michael Schwimer were optioned; left-handers David Purcey and Jeremy Horst were re-assigned.

It's not too surprising, even in the case of Aumont, the hardest thrower in camp. Dubee used the word "erratic" to describe Aumont's last outing.

Even if he begins the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, don't rule out Aumont getting on the big league roster at some point in the season's first half. Of all the near major-league ready arms, Aumont's has the biggest upside.

There are 41 players remaining in camp.... but that includes at least three players (Howard, Utley and Justin De Fratus) who haven't played a game this spring.

----

Domonic Brown deemed himself ready for active duty after taking batting practice Monday.

Brown hasn't played since March 14 due to a stiff neck. He is not on today's travel roster to Sarasota but is likely to get back into the lineup following Wednesday's off day in the schedule.

---

Today's lineup:

1. Freddy Galvis, 2B
2. Lou Montanez, LF
3. Hunter Pence, RF
4. Ty Wigginton, 1B
5. John Mayberry Jr., CF
6. Carlos Ruiz, C
7. Kevin Frandsen, 3B
8. Michael Martinez, SS
9. Roy Halladay, P


---


The rest of the upcoming week's pitching schedule:


Thursday (vs. Blue Jays at Dunedin):

Cliff Lee
Kyle Kendrick
Chad Qualls
Jose Contreras



Friday (vs. Yankees in Clearwater)

Vance Worley
David Herndon
Mike Stutes
Jonathan Papelbon



Saturday (vs. Red Sox at Ft. Myers)

Cole Hamels
Chad Qualls
Antonio Bastardo



Sunday (vs. Orioles in Clearwater)

Roy Halladay
Mike Stutes
Jonathan Papelbon
Jose Contreras



Sunday (vs. Tigers in Lakeland)

Scott Elarton
David Herndon



Monday (vs. Red Sox in Clearwater)

Joe Blanton
Antonio Bastardo
Chad Qualls



Tuesday (vs. Pirates in Clearwater)

Cliff Lee
Kyle Kendrick
Mike Stutes
Jonathan Papelbon

Freddy Galvis has arguably been the Phillies best player this spring.

So it's not too surprising that Ruben Amaro Jr. spoke with confidence in turning to Galvis in the wake of the news that Chase Utley will not be ready for Opening Day.

But it's at least a little surprising from the standpoint that Galvis has never played second base regularly until this month. Galvis has showed he has the tools and baseball acumen to handle it.

Earlier today, he sounded ready for the challenge, too.

"For me it’s hard. Losing Chase Utley, he’s a big guy for the team. But I know he’s going to get healthy soon, maybe a few weeks and I hope we get him better soon, but for me I feel real good right now. It’s a big opportunity. I think it’s my dream, to play in the big leagues. If I make it on the big league roster, that’s good...

"Everything’s moved fast. Three months ago I was thinking playing shortstop. Right now, it’s weird playing second base. But I have to, in my mind, move pretty fast. I was at shortstop and now I have to move to second base. But it’s a dream come true. Every young guy wants to be a big leaguer. I try to keep working hard and do the job."



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

I caught up with Charlie Manuel briefly before the game to ask about his reaction to the Utley news.


Q: I guess not having Utley on Opening Day isn't the news you wanted?

Manuel: Yeah I’m disappointed. It kind of sounds like he’s getting another opinion.

Q: Are you OK with Freddy as the backup plan?

Manuel: I’m ok with what we’ve got. I’ve always played with what we have. And what we have is what we have. And it’s up to us to work with that.

Q: Do you have enough offense though, with Howard out, too.

Manuel: We’ll wait and see.


---------

For the Freddy Galvis story I wrote over the weekend (scroll up for the link), I spoke to Phillies first base coach and infield instructor Sam Perlozzo, who has worked extensively with Galvis this spring on the transition from short to second.

Perlozzo spoke glowingly about Galvis' ability, both the 22-year-old physical talent and his mentality, too.



Perlozzo on Galvis in general:

"He’s an intelligent baseball kid. You tell him one thing one time and he just has the ability to adapt to it.
We went out one day and talked about as many situations as I could think of that could happen, where a ball is going to be thrown to you when a guy is coming in, or when to get out of the way, or how to get out of the way sometimes and still be able to make the throw. We went over tons of things. But he picks them up. He wants it… I can see it in his eyes. I think the other years he’s been in camp, he knows he’s in camp. This year, I sense that feels like he belongs, that he’s a big league player. He’s sure of himself. That’s what has impressed me about him this year."


Perlozzo on Galvis' work at second this spring:

"I hope he gets a ton of action, because he needs to have things happen so he’s prepared for them the second time around. You don’t want to have something not ever happen and then it happens in a game and you have to adapt at that time. So I’d like to see him get tons of work. That first double play, we were looking for it for a while. We were looking for it, talking about it and I said its not going to be the first time until you get one. And then he got one. He handles that. And that, to me, that’s what I was concerned about. You don’t want to get in situation where its not there and you get hurt…. But he finally got one and he turned a great double play. He jumped and the guy went between his legs. That was a pretty good play."


Perlozzo on how Galvis has handled other aspects, like hitting, base running:

"The one thing about Freddy is he’s a team player. He’s in the foxhole with you. He’s in there as a team player, he’s going to bunt, he’s going to move runners over. He did it (Thursday) with a man on third… he hit a ground ball. He’s going to play the game of baseball for you as good as he can play it. If he doesn’t, it won’t because he’s not trying to do it.

"Certain guys on your team, that’s your job. You have to do those things. When I played I wasn’t a big guy who could hit the ball out of the ballpark, I had to be able to run, I had to be able to hit and run, had to be able to bunt. My average would go down because I’d move runners over all the time, but that keeps you in the game. Freddy is that kind of player. He’s willing, more than willing, to do it. And (he) enjoys it."

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. just got finished briefing the media on the status of Chase Utley, who left camp today to get his knees looked at by a specialist.

That's right. His "knees."

"Yeah, one a little more than the other. But generally both. The guy’s got bad knees. We know it," Amaro said of Utley, who missed the first seven weeks of the 2011 season with right knee tendinitis.

But the Phils are now saying it's actually both knees, and this, too:

"His right knee actually feels better," Amaro said. "His left knee is bothering him."

In the last six years, Utley has had surgery on a hip, a thumb, a wrist... and has been plagued by chronic knee pain. Amaro said Utley is doubtful for Opening Day, that surgery was not on the table, that Freddy Galvis is the odds-on favorite to be the Opening Day second baseman, and much, much more.

Here is what Amaro had to say:

Q: What prompted sending out of town?

Amaro: Chase hasn’t been feeling all that great. He hasn’t gotten to the point where he’s confident enough to get on the field and to perform without, maybe, feeling worse. We’ve tried to hit it with a couple of things, and seeing a specialist, this is one thing where we’re trying to get him over the hump.


Q: Something change. You and Utley were both optimistic within the last week.

Amaro: I don’t know if anything changed, he just didn’t progress as we would have liked to have him progress. When he first came into spring, he was feeling really good. He was taking ground balls and then he started to feel it a bit more. And then our plan, as we talked about, we not having him play for a while because we wanted to make sure we put him in a position to not start pounding on his knees in the early part of spring just to hold him off. When it was time to start getting him on the field, he wasn’t able to do that. So he’s not and we’re…. he’s been improving I think in the last couple weeks or so, but not to the point where he’s ready to get on the field and feel confident about it.


Q: Is Opening day a possibility?

Amaro: I would think it would be doubtful for him to be prepared to play second base for us Opening Day. Really, this is about making sure he’s healthy and playing for a significant amount of the season. So, whatever time it takes for him to feel confident and feel good about his knees that’s the most important part, it doesn’t have to be today, tomorrow or next week. We have to get him feeling confident about being able to play out there without him having any of it on his mind. The last thing he wants to be do is sitting around, but I think this is the best thing for him.


Q: Who is the specialist he's seeing?

Amaro: I’m not at liberty to say in respect for Chase.


Q: Same guy as last year?

Amaro: No.



Q: Is he leaving the country?

Amaro: He is not.



Q: The specialist helped him get on field last year. What did he do… can do the same?

Amaro: Some of the stretching and some of the alignment stuff he had done, frankly stuff we had been doing anyway and he had done in the offseason and prepared that much better for it, but, he just doesn’t feel confident and good enough with his knees. They’re sore. And he doesn’t want to… and we don’t want to put him in a position to hurt them anymore. And to make sure we get him ready to play the full season.


Q: It's both knees?

Amaro: Yeah, one a little more than the other. But generally both. The guy’s got bad knees. We know it. And that’s a fact and we’re just trying to limit and also make sure that he’s ready to go and feeling comfortable about the bulk of the season.


Q: Can he play a significant amount of the season?

Amaro: I think he can. A lot of it depends on how things go with this specialist and some of the other things that he’s been doing with Scott. As I’ve said, I think he’s shown some improvement as we’ve gone here, but not enough to get him on the field.


Q: Will he have a procedure?

Amaro: No.


Q: Surgery on the table?

Amaro: No, we haven’t had any discussions about surgery.


Q: So this is mostly a discussion about stretching?

Amaro: Just some different things. And again, I’m not really at liberty to say. Chase is pretty private as you guys know and so he asked me not to talk much about it.



Q: When’s he going to be back?

Amaro: He should be back I believe here on Thursday.



Q: A year ago he took seated ground balls, but he hasn’t even done that. Why?

Amaro: I just think he didn’t want to do it. There’s no necessity for him to do that because he thought he’d be taking ground balls normally by this week or next week. I just didn’t think he felt the need to do it.


Q: What went wrong over the winter? He played 103 games, plus the postseason. He said last month he felt like he was in a good place.

Amaro: I don’t think there was anything that went on in the winter. When he started doing some of the activities he was doing, I just think it didn’t feel right to him. And so if it’s not going to feel right there’s no reason for us to push him to get him on the field and make it worse. That’s was really the thought process behind that.


Q: How are you going to handle second base?

Amaro: I think we have people in house here. Freddy has done a nice job for us. Until somebody unseats Freddy I think he probably would be one of the candidates. Freddy’s done fine.


Q: Are you worried about Chase’s career?

Amaro: I worry about Chase because it’s a chronic knee problem. About his career? I don’t know.
Is it unrealistic though to expect him to be the player he was?
I couldn’t even really speculate. All I hope is that he’s back and healthy and playing on our club. I know that’s what he wants to do. I know that’s what we want him to do obviously. When he’s prepared to do that he’ll start playing.


Q: Can this team without the right side of its infield? Need to go outside?

Amaro: I think it will be tough, but of course you can win. We’ve had bumps in the road like this before. We’ll deal with them and move on.



Q: What are you calling this?

Amaro: He’s got a cartilage issue. You can’t grow cartilage. So it’s partially tendinitis and partially a cartilage issue. So hopefully we can get him to the point where he’s feeling confident about playing on it.


Q: Again, both knees?

Amaro: His right knee actually feels better. His left knee is bothering him.




Q: No Utley. No Howard. Need to get someone in here who can hit?

Amaro: There’s not a lot of offense, huh? That strikes into our offense. We’e gong to have to catch the ball and pitch it like we did last year.


Q: Enough defensively?

Amaro: I think if Polly and Jimmy and Galvis are out there, that’s pretty good. That’s pretty good. Pretty good defenders.


Q: Can you win without right side of infield?

Amaro: I think it’ll be tough, but of course we can win. We’ve had bumps in the road like this before. We’ll deal with it and move on.



Q: What's latest on Howard?

Amaro: Status quo on Ryan. Just trying to get the wound healed and once it’s healed we’ll get him doing more activities. He’s doing more stuff, some cardiovascular stuff, taking ground balls and throwing. But he stays in the boot until that wound is done.


Q: How close to making a trade?

Amaro: I’m not.


Q: Why?

Amaro: We have a guy in house.



Q: Could you move Polly to second, trade for a third baseman?

Amaro: We could, but I like Galvis. Has Galvis done anything to warrant not playing? He’s been our best player this spring.


Q: Can he hit at big league level?

Amaro: We’ll probably have to find out.


Q: Confident in that?

Amaro: We’re going to give him a chance.

The fact that Chase Utley came to Clearwater a month ago with an optimistic view on his chronic right knee tendinitis only to see his workout progression slowed in the weeks that followed was not a good sign.

The fact that he's leaving Clearwater 17 days before Opening Day to get that knee evaluated by a specialist, well, that's a more ominous sign.

Utley, who missed the entirety of last year's spring schedule and the first seven weeks of the 2011 season, could be on track to start his second straight season on the disabled list. The Phils announced Monday that Utley is leaving Clearwater.


Here is the official statement from general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

“Chase's rehab process has come to a bit of a plateau. He has made some strides but not enough to take the field. He is headed out of town for a few days to be evaluated by a specialist that has helped athletes overcome his issue. We anticipate that this trip will allow him to build on what he has already done with Scott Sheridan in order to get over the hump. He wants more than anything to be on the field with his teammates and we believe that this is a step in that direction.”


Don't ignore this for what it is: a setback on Utley's ability to get onto the field ASAP.

Earlier this weekend Utley said he hoped to return to taking ground balls at some point this week. Since he's not going to be in town for the next few days, that would appear to be a stretch.

If the best case scenario has Utley back in town by say, Thursday, he would have 10 days to get himself regular season-ready before the Phillies break camp April 1.

When camp began, Utley was taking both batting practice and regular infield work. Before position players went through their first official workout, Utley was on a field with Jim Thome, taking ground balls at first base. He took ground balls at second, too, and even did lighter work on his own at second.

But once the Grapefruit League schedule began, Utley scaled back his workload. He continued to take pregame hitting (not every day, but most days); he was not present, however, during regular infield work during batting practice.

It's likely the Phillies will spend the next two weeks attempting to find a veteran via trade if Utley's condition leads to a DL stint. Rookie Freddy Galvis could also be an option; but if the Phils have to play a significant portion of the season without Utley and Ryan Howard, who is expected to miss at least the first two months while rehabbing from Achilles' surgery, they're going to need to find some offense.

You get the feeling Charlie Manuel would rather not run through another Luis Castillo Experiment ala 2011, or have to play a Pete Orr-type for more than once a week. Just listen to what the manager had to say when asked if he had enough capable "bodies" to fill in the gaps for his injury-ravaged infield.

"I don’t want to hear body crap, I want somebody in here who can play," Manuel said Saturday. "Like we talk about winning the World Series, getting to the playoffs and winning the World Series, I don’t particularly like that, don’t say 'body' to me, I don’t…. I’m not a mediocrity kind of guy."

Charlie Manuel is a Chase Utley guy. And a Ryan Howard guy. And a Roy Halladay guy. And a .... well, you get the point.

But Utley's latest setback is evidence that Manuel and the Phillies might want to prepare for the inevitable. None of those guys will play forever.

And earlier this spring, Utley made it clear his current problem wasn't going to go away for good.

“I think it’s something I’m always going to have to monitor, forever, to be honest,” Utley said. “But I think I have a game plan put together that I’m able to overcome it."

That was February 23. A month later, the best laid plans haven't necessarily panned out for Utley and the Phillies.

Utley is leaving Clearwater to get his right knee looked at.

Here's the statement from GM Ruben Amaro Jr. More coming later....


“Chase's rehab process has come to a bit of a plateau. He has made some strides but not enough to take the field. He is headed out of town for a few days to be evaluated by a specialist that has helped athletes overcome his issue. We anticipate that this trip will allow him to build on what he has already done with Scott Sheridan in order to get over the hump. He wants more than anything to be on the field with his teammates and we believe that this is a step in that direction.”

Ruben Amaro Jr. just got through talking to the traveling beat corps on a day that saw the team part ways with veteran pitcher Dontrelle Willis.

The reason the Phils released Willis wasn't surprising. According to Amaro, it was the pitcher's effectiveness, or lack thereof.

Amaro also gave a little insight into the progress of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.




-- On Utley, who Charlie Manuel said could get into a game "pretty soon" two days ago:

"We have to get him to the point where he’s taking ground balls regularly and doing those things before we get him into games," Amaro said.

Is there enough time left in camp - the Phils have 15 more days of Grapefruit League games- to get him ready for the April 5 season opener?

"I think as we see things right now he’s going to get enough at-bats and playing time," Amaro said. "We have to get him to the point where he’s starting to get on the field, he’s not there yet."



--On Howard, who returned as a regular member of camp Tuesday. (A week ago, Amaro said Howard would remain in a boot for at least a week and perhaps longer).

Is there a better idea of when he'll get rid of the boot?


"He comes in every day and gets it re-dressed every day, and it gives us a chance to look at the wound," Amaro said. "When it gets healed over and we feel comfortable he can take the boot off, that’s what we’ll do.

"But he’s doing some more activities now, he’s doing some cardio stuff, he’s taking ground balls on the bucket. I think he’s going to take throws… he’s doing stuff he can do when he’s in the boot that aren’t ridiculous, but things that will help him so he’s not too far removed from doing baseball stuff."

The makeup of the Phillies bullpen is still very much in question with Opening Day less than three weeks away.

Jonathan Papelbon, Chad Qualls, Kyle Kendrick and Antonio Bastardo are locks. Then there are a bunch of guys, including Mike Stutes, David Herndon, Phillippe Aumont, Michael Schwimer, Brian Sanches, Joe Savery, Jake Diekman, Justin De Fratus, David Purcey, Raul Valdes, Jeremy Horst, Dontrelle Willis left to fill out the final three spots.

Wait. Check that. Dontrelle Willis's name has been taken off that list.

The Phillies released Willis this morning, shortly after the team left for this afternoon's game against the Pirates in Bradenton.

Willis signed a $850,000 non-guaranteed major league contract in January. If he had stayed on the roster through March 17, he would have been owed one-sixth of that contract.

Earlier this spring, I asked Willis about the nature of pitching on a non-guaranteed contract this spring. His response was surprising: he didn't know it wasn't guaranteed.


“You’d have to ask my agent that, I think it’s guaranteed,” a slightly puzzled Willis said last month. “I hope it is. Or else I’ve got to fire him, you know what I mean? I think it’s guaranteed.”

But after thinking about it, Willis seem unconcerned.

“I never look at it. Who cares?” Willis said. “It’s not about the money for me. It’s not like I have one of thee big deals like the starters. That’s irrelevant. I just want to get people out. You know what I mean?”

In the getting-people-out department, Willis' results were mixed at best.

Willis pitched a clean inning Thursday against the Atlanta Braves. But his previous two outings were pretty shaky.

Willis' outing Thursday was his first since allowing four runs on three hits and two walks March 7 against the Houston Astros. Following that game, Willis complained of arm soreness.

Willis faced 16 batters this spring; nine reached base. Right-handers went 4-for-8 with 4 walks against him.

In the lineup posted in the Phillies clubhouse this morning, the name "Lou Montanez" was written over some white-out. The name under the white-out was Domonic Brown.

Brown was scratched from the lineup for the second time in as many days with a neck injury, an injury he said he first felt after sleeping on the bus ride Tuesday to Kissimmee.

Ironically, Brown had what was probably his most eventful day of the spring in Kissimmee Tuesday: he made two defensive gaffes before hitting a 10th-inning, game-tying home run.

"I really don't know... I slept during the bus rise to Kissimmee, and then in (Wednesday's) home game, in the third at-bat, it kind of got worse," Brown said. "I don't feel it until I really start swinging. I feel it right in here [points almost to throat] and in the back of my head. They don't think it's a nerve thing, so that's good. I'm just taking it day by day."

Brown said he felt better when he woke up Friday morning and tried to hit in the cage. "But as soon as I started to make contact, I felt it (again)," he said.

Brown was originally in Thursday's split squad lineup in Port Charlotte. He made the trip with the team, but was scratched before the game.

Brown has missed seven games with injuries this spring. He sprained his right thumb earlier in camp

"It's frustrating, it really is," Brown said. "But stuff like this happens. Hopefully I can be on the field soon."


Here is the lineup for today's game in Bradenton (needless to say, most of the regulars are not making the trip):

1. Juan Pierre, RF
2. Scott Podsednik, CF
3. Hunter Pence, DH
4. John Mayberry Jr., 1B
5. Lou Montanez, LF
6. Pete Orr, 3B
7. Brian Schneider, C
8. Kevin Frandsen, 2B
9. Freddy Galvis, SS

Cliff Lee will start, with Kyle Kendrick following out of the pen.

Roy Halladay rarely comes out of a game in the middle of an inning. Even a spring training game.

But after giving up a three-run home run in the third inning of Wednesday's game against the Twins, and then walking the very next batter on four pitches, Halladay was pulled. He had thrown 70 pitches in 2 2/3 innings. He allowed five runs on seven hits, including two home runs.

Later Wednesday, a report surfaced on foxsports.com that had a few scouts saying Halladay's velocity was down. With the injury clouds of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley already hovering over Camp Clearwater, even mild speculation that Halladay isn't right is well... what Charlie Manuel might call "not real good."

So I walked up to the pitcher himself this morning in the clubhouse and asked him if he heard his velocity was down, and what he thought about that.

"2,500 innings?" Halladay said, referring to his career workload.

Is that normal for you in mid-March, velocity not quite at peak?

"I don't know, I don't pay attention to that. You know, the older you get, the more you throw, the longer it takes to get yourself going," Halladay said. "When I came up, I threw 98. Last year, I was throwing 92-93. So, you know, it's not unusual. But when you get older, it takes longer. The more innings you throw, the more time it takes to get yourself going again."

Is it also learning to pace yourself in spring training as you get older, wiser?

"I think the older you get, the more spring trainings you're around, you can try and have as much intensity as you can, but it's just not the same," Halladay said. "I think know once you get closer and you're not working on stuff, you're trying to pitch, it's a little different. It's all a part of it. Would I like to be throwing 98 right now? Yeah, that'd be great. I don't expect that's going to happen."


So as for speculation there might be an arm issue?

"Yeah, I heard about that," Halladay said. "That's poor reporting at the extreme end of poor reporting. It couldn't be further from the truth."


Halladay is 0-1 with a 10.57 ERA in three Grapefruit League games this spring. He has allowed nine runs on 13 hits (including five home runs) in 7 2/3 innings. He's struck out 10, walked one and opponents have hit .361 against him.


Halladay threw 70 pitches Wednesday and said afterward he was "pretty gassed" in the third inning. He gave up two home runs, one on a changeup, another on a cutter.

"One was a change-up. The other was a backdoor cutter that cut. It started on the edge and cut over the middle," Halladay said. "That's been a little bit of an issue for me. It's been flat the first few games. Now I feel like we have it moving. It's a matter of where do I start it now and get a feel for it. Things are improving. But it's a long ways to go."

But Halladay also looked just like himself at times, including on a strikeout of former AL MVP Justin Morneau to end the first inning.

"Curveball. We threw him a lot of curveballs," Halladay said. "I threw one or two change-ups that were usable but the other ones were ineffective. It was real good in my bullpen. It's getting that feel and trying to figure out when it's off, what's the difference? That's what (pitching coach) Rich Dubee and I were talking about on the bench during the game. I told Chooch keep calling it as much as you can. We gave up the home run on it in the first inning and I said, 'Call it as much as you can.' See if we can figure out how it feels when it's off. We have some ideas and things I can play with in my next bullpen."

As for the third inning when he got pulled after a three-run homer and a four-pitch walk?

"I hate innings like that, but they help build stamina," Halladay said. "They humble you and push you to work. You take the good, you take the bad, you evaluate it and move on. I’m looking forward to the next bullpen and the next outing and being able to make some adjustments and work on that consistency."

After answering about a dozen questions on Ryan Howard, who was back in camp and beginning to work out Wednesday, Charlie Manuel was asked about the timetable on his other All-Star, middle-of-the-order bat.


Do you have any better idea for when you could see Chase Utley on the field?

Charlie's answer was a positive one.

Early last week he said it was "going to be a while." Late last week, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the Phils were trying to keep Utley off his feet.

Here's what Charlie said following today's 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins:

"I’d say it’s coming up pretty soon," Manuel said of seeing Utley in a game. "It’s going to be a few days yet. But then we’ll start pushing his workouts up."

Later, Manuel added: "He’s going to get going here pretty soon. He’ll more than likely when he starts he’ll start getting some live pitching and we’ll see where he’s at.”


Utley hasn't played in any of the Phillies 12 exhibition games this season. He took batting practice with the team before today's game, but his work otherwise (read: fielding practice) has been limited.

Utley suffered from chronic right knee tendinitis. He missed all of spring training last year and the first seven weeks of the regular season.

Ryan Howard is two weeks and two days removed from having his surgically repaired left foot cut back open.

On Feb. 27, Howard had an infection removed from the site of his left Achilles' surgery. The Achilles' was not compromised; but Howard's rehab was since he has not taken place in baseball activities since Feb 25.

Until today, at least.

Howard checked back into Camp Clearwater this morning and played catch. He's also doing some light work on a stationary bike.

But when will the boot he's wearing come off? Is the infection gone? Is it still even remotely possible that he could be back on the field in May, the optimistic timeline general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. threw out to the media before camp began?

Howard answers those questions and more:



Q: You're back working out?

Howard: Right now I just got cleared to do a little bit of modified stuff, so basically riding a bike, doing a little leg motion-type stuff. Trying to do what I can so when I’m actually out of the boot I can hit the ground running.



Q: Upsetting to go through this?

Howard: No, man. I’ve been good. I’ve just tried to stay positive through the entire thing. These kinds of things happen. The only thing you can do is stay positive. If you start to get down on yourself it’s not going to help the situation either way. I’m just looking at it as a positive, trying to keep it on the up and up.



Q: Infection out?

Howard: I would hope so. I mean, they operated on it. I would hope that it’s out of there. Now just continue to take those precautions and just wait for everything to heal up.



Q: How much longer in the boot?

Howard: I don’t know. I mean, guess right now we’re just waiting for the skin to heal up. I mean, that’s really what the purpose of the boot is. I think people see me in the boot they think it’s a lot worse than what it really is. Right now we’re just trying to protect the skin and protect the wound and let it heal up. Once it heals up then I’ll be out of the boot.



Q: Team said hoped to see you back in May before camp began. May out of the question now?

Howard: I don’t know. It all depends on how the skin heals and then as far as the progression of trying to pick back up where I was. I’m going to try to stay optimistic and see what happens, but like I’ve said before there’s really no time limit on it. Once it’s 100 percent we’ll go from there.



Q: How big is the wound?

Howard: Well, the wound was probably the size of my fingertip. But now it’s gone down substantially.



Q: Was that the first wound or what was left after they operated?

Howard: I mean, they left my foot and my ankle.



Q: You went to Baltimore with an open wound, right?

Utley: They took out the sutures on the wound. It was kind of on each side of my Achilles. My Achilles is fine. My Achilles wasn’t touched at all. It was just basically the wound. There was a couple little holes or whatnot and now they’re pretty much filled in. Now we’re just waiting for that skin and all that stuff.



Q: They had to restitch it, right?

Howard: There are a few stitches in there. It looks a lot better than what it was before. Now it's a matter of letting it heal.


Q: Do you have to start from ground zero on the rehab?

Howard: I doubt it. I really doubt it. From where I had to start before, I had a bum Achilles. We had to strengthen that up. But my Achilles each day, even though I'm not doing some of the stuff I was doing before, is still getting stronger just through rest. My goal and hope is once I get out of the boot we can hit the ground running and pick up where we left off.



Q: You were out three weeks - so does that mean your return is set back by three weeks?

Howard: No, we're hoping not. I think that the thing was, my Achilles was weak. We did some things to make my Achilles stronger. Each day of rest, it continues to heal and get stronger. We'll try to do what we can to put ourselves in the best position so once this boot comes off we can hit the ground running.



Q: You've been back in town for two weeks, right?

Howard: I've been down here the whole time. I guess it was like a 'Where's Waldo?' type deal. People didn't know if I was in Philly. People didn't know if I was here. I was everywhere. Stealth.



Q: What have you been doing?

Howard: I've been trying to keep up with the guys as much as I can; watching the games on TV and whatnot.



Q: Good to get get a glove back on?

Howard: "It was cool. I felt like Cole Hamels. It was awkward throwing downhill. Man, this is what Cole feels like when he's on the bump. It felt good to be able to do some baseball stuff and get up on the bike and get active again. I missed you guys."



Q: You back for good in camp?

Howard: I'll be out here. You'll be seeing more of me. I'll be out here doing more of what I can. We'll be hitting the bike and trying to do the exercises we can. Obviously we're limited with the boot. We'll be out here every day.



Q: You played catch, what's it like to get back out there?

Howard: It's exhilarating. I even got to field a ball from batting practice that came at me. I still got it.


Here is some video footage from Howard's Q&A session with the scribes.

First, the Big Piece is back.

Ryan Howard has popped into the clubhouse a few times since his Feb. 27 procedure to remove an infection from his surgically repaired left Achilles', but he's mostly just said his hellos and went on his way. This morning, he sat at his locker, chatted with his teammates and put on his Phillies gear.

So, if nothing else, Howard appears to have something on the schedule today from a workout standpoint, which is promising. We'll hear from him later today.

While Howard checked back in, nine others in camp checked out.

Gone are five pitchers, a catcher, an outfielder and two infielders, off to minor league camp. Among those packing their bags this morning was Dave Bush, a Conestoga High School grad and long-time starter for the Milwaukee Brewers.


"I guess they’re going to have me start in Triple-A so they want me to get stretched out," the 32-year-old Bush said. "I certainly hoped I’d be able to throw a little bit more in here in camp, but this is the way it shook out."

Bush appeared in three games this spring. He gave up four runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking none in 5 1/3 innings.

"I felt good," Bush said. "I haven’t had too many chances to pitch, but I felt good when I went out there, felt healthy, I’ve felt strong so I’ll keep working from there."

Bush is pretty much a victim of a number's crunch. With guys like Roy Halladay (who pitches today), Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee ready to go at least five innings at this point in camp, the inning aren't there for guys projected to be Triple-A starters.


Here's the full list of players optioned or reassigned to minor league camp:


Pitchers:

Bush
Austin Hyatt
Pat Misch
JC Ramirez
BJ Rosenberg


Catcher:

Sebastian Valle


Infielders:

Cesar Hernandez
Harold Garcia


Outfielder:

Tyson Gillies



Here is today's lineup vs. the Twins at Bright House:

1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Placido Polanco, 3B
3. Shane Victorino, CF
4. Hunter Pence, RF
5. Ty Wigginton, 1B
6. John Mayberry Jr., LF
7. Domonic Brown, DH
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Freddy Galvis, 2B


Interesting that Dom Brown is DH-ing after yesterday.... you'd think they'd want him to get as many reps in left field as possible. Huh.