Contreras officially done for the season

Scratch Jose Contreras off the list of possible bullpen options for the Phillies. Contreras, who hasn't pitched since June 19th, had a setback as he was attempting a comeback and will need surgery on his elbow and will miss the rest of the season. It will be exploratory surgery to determine what is actually wrong with the elbow so the extent of the injury isn't known at this time.



Contreras is under contract for next season so getting the 39 year old healthy for spring training next season is the top priority. With Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo stepping up this season, losing the Big Truck isn't a huge blow though it would have been nice to have him as a late game option. Considering Brad Lidge has looked cooked recently, the Phillies might be a little thin in the bullpen going into the postseason. Good thing the entire starting rotation can go the distance any time they take the hill.

As Polanco returns, Rollins exits to the DL

It looks like we will have to wait a little longer to see the Phillies lineup back at full strength. As expected, the Phillies have activated Placido Polanco from the disabled list and put him back into the lineup tonight. He will take the place of Jimmy Rollins, who is now on the DL with a mild groin strain.



The injury to Rollins doesn't sound serious so there really is no reason to panic. While it would be nice for the team to be back at full strength right now, there is still plenty of time until the playoffs. Giving Rollins a few weeks off will in no way hinder the Phillies playoff chances and it will help him be rested and ready come October. The same goes for Polanco who needs to do his best to keep his balky back from acting up.

Phillies place Madson on the DL

With the best offensive team in baseball coming to town, who needs a bullpen? The Phillies announced today that closer Ryan Madson has been placed on the disabled list with a bruised hand. Madson suffered the injury in late May against the Rangers and hasn't pitched since June 19th. Since his placement on the DL is retroactive, he could be back as soon as early next week.

To replace Madson on the roster, the Phillies have called up Andrew Carpenter. Look for Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes to continue to carry the load for a severely depleted Phillies bullpen. Let's hope every starter can go the distance against the Red Sox because the late innings could be a real adventure against that lineup.

Oswalt leaves game early, could be out a while

We may need to get used to only having three aces on the Phillies for a while. Roy Oswalt, who was forced to leave his start against the Cardinals on Thursday night due to back soreness, will miss at least his next start and will have an MRI on Monday.

Oswalt discussed his condition with the Phillies beat reporters after the game and sounded very negative, hinting that he may not be able to throw another pitch. With a history of back problems, it could be only a matter of time before Oswalt decides that the pain he is going through simply isn't worth it anymore. With a contract that has a mutual option after this season, Oswalt might decide to just walk away from the Phillies. Luckily, he's a fighter and I'd be willing to bet he's going to do everything he can to be healthy by October.

What this all means is that we should get used to seeing Vance Worley and Kyle Kendrick on the mound for the Phillies. With Joe Blanton still out until at least the All Star break, the Phillies will be forced to trot Worley and Kendrick out 2 out of every 5 games for at least the next month. While the three aces are still very good, the Phillies rotation suddenly looks very thin. Hurry back, Oswalt, and let's hope you still have a few good pitches left in you.
(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Domonic Brown is back!

The Domonic Brown era has resumed in Philadelphia. With the placement of Shane Victorino on the disabled list, the Phillies have called up Brown, who has been recovering from a broken hand since spring training. The Phils were apparently hesitant to call up Brown, who hit .341 in Triple A, but with the offense struggling over the last few weeks, he was the only useful piece they could call on. I would expect Brown to spend the rest of the season with the Phils and work his way into one of the starting outfield spots sooner rather than later.

In another roster move, the Phillies called up David Herndon and sent down Scott Mathieson. This move is just a precursor to Joe Blanton eventually being placed on the disabled list and Vance Worley being recalled.

Chase Utley begins rehab assignment tonight

The cure (hopefully) for the Phillies offensives woes is (hopefully) going to be back soon. According to every Phillies beat writer, Chase Utley, who had been in extended spring training for the last few days, will begin his rehab assignment today, joining the Class-A Clearwater Threshers for their game tonight.

It's a big step for Utley, mostly because it starts the clock for a return to the major leagues. Rehab assignments can only last for 20 games, so, barring a setback, Utley should be back with the Phillies by the end of the month. Some beat writers are even targeting May 18th when the Phillies return from their road trip.

Utley's return won't fix everything that is wrong with the Phillies inconsistent offense but it can only make things better. Even Utley at 70% will be a huge improvement over Wilson Valdez or Pete Orr. The best team in baseball will get even better with the return of Utley, and that's something to get excited about.

Phillies place Blanton on DL, call up Worley

In a move that seemingly came from nowhere, the Phillies have announced that Joe Blanton, who was supposed to start tomorrow against the Mets, will go on the disabled list due to a medial impingement in his right elbow. In his place, the Phillies have called up Vance Worley, who will immediately join the rotation and will face the Mets tomorrow.

There had been no news about Blanton being injured until today and there is no information about how long he will be out. The injury doesn't seem too serious, with surgery not a likely option, so Blanton could be out for just a short time. While he is out, the Phillies don't figure to drop off to much with Worley. Besides the fact that Blanton hasn't exactly lit the world on fire this year, Worley was very good in the 2 starts the Phillies gave him last year, posting a 1.38 ERA and .923 WHIP. While those numbers are not going to continue, there is no reason why Worley can't give the Phils 6 solid innings each start.

The disabled list just continues to grow for the Phillies, as Blanton joins fellow pitchers Jose Contreras, J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge on the DL. Add in Chase Utley and Dominic Brown, plus the recent injury to Carlos Ruiz, and the Phillies have a ton of talent just sitting on the sidelines. The fact that they are still in first place without all of these guys is a real testament to their starting pitching.

Lidge to possibly miss half of season, Contreras to close

After the revelation that Brad Lidge was going to start the season on the DL, today's news is hardly surprising: Lidge will miss 3-6 weeks due to his shoulder injury. Given that time frame, Lidge made it clear to reporters that he is shooting for a return after the All-Star break. While that is a long time for the Phillies to be without their closer, at least Lidge won't need surgery on the shoulder, which would potentially keep him out for the entire season.

With Lidge out, Charlie Manuel is reportedly going to go with Jose Contreras as the closer and keep Ryan Madson in the 8th inning. While I don't subscribe to the theory that Madson doesn't have the mental makeup to be a closer, I'm fine with the Phillies keeping Madson in his most successful role. While Contreras doesn't have much closing experience (4 career saves all in 2010), if he can pitch like he did last year, he should do just fine in the 9th inning.

Given the relative depth of the Phillies bullpen, losing Brad Lidge isn't that huge of a blow to the Phillies. Both Contreras and Madson should do just fine in the final two innings so the Phillies will just need either J.C. Romero or Danys Baez to step into the 7th inning role. Then again, the Four Aces will probably just pitch a complete game every time.

Lidge to start season on the DL

The Phillies ridiculously bad luck with injuries continues. Yesterday, we got confirmation that Chase Utley will start the season on the disabled list; today, we learn that Brad Lidge will join him.

Due to shoulder pain, Lidge, who was already recovering from an injured bicep, won't be ready to go when the season starts. While he is hopeful that he will be able to pitch sometime in April, the initial reports don't give a definite timetable.

The season can't start soon enough for the Phillies, who are just ravaged with injuries. Luckily, the Phillies can slide Ryan Madson into the closer role and move Jose Contreras to the 8th inning, but that does make their 7th inning options that much weaker. They'll just need the four aces to pitch complete games for the first couple months of the season. Better make 'em shutouts, too, given the state of the lineup.

Polanco the latest injured Phillie

This is starting to get ridiculous. With Domonic Brown, Brad Lidge and Chase Utley sidelined, the Phillies have already had their fair share of injuries this spring training. Add another to that list as Placido Polanco injured his left elbow in a game today. While Polanco only hyperextended his elbow and downplayed it being serious, it is the same elbow that required surgery in the offseason, so it could lead to a bigger issue.

With a veteran team like the Phillies, you can't say the number of injuries they have had is surprising. Polanco is still likely to be ready to go on opening day but he could have lingering issues in his elbow all season long. While this one minor injury isn't anything to panic about, the Phillies will be fighting against father time all season long as their age may cause their championship window to close faster than any of us thought.

Phillies place Mathieson on DL, DFA Robertson, add Carrillo

As the Phillies continue to search for the final playoff bullpen pieces, they made a series of pitching moves on Thursday that could have a minor impact on who makes that 25 man playoff roster.

First, Scott Mathieson, who could be a nice bullpen piece at some point down the road, was placed on the disabled list with a muscle strain in his back. If Mathieson's season is over, it ends with an ugly stat line of 1.2 innings pitched and an ERA of 10.80.

Another player with an ugly pitching line was moved off the roster as Nate Robertson was designated for assignment by the Phillies. While there was a remote possibility that the veteran pitcher could have turned his career around and been a contributor for the Phillies, it was clear he didn't have what it takes after giving up 6 runs in one inning against the Marlins. Given how bad his season was this year, Robertson's career might be over.

Finally, the Phillies also added a pitcher today, claiming righty Cesar Carrillo off waivers from the Padres. Carrillo is a 26 year old who pitched in 3 games for the Padres last season. Seeing as how he had an ERA of 13.06 in those three games, Carrillo is likely a longterm project who has little chance of having an impact in the majors. He was a solid prospect at one point in his career, so the Phillies probably look at him as a low-risk late season pickup.