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 Polanco on DL, call up Schwimer

With his sports hernia still bothering him, the Phillies had no choice but to place Placido Polanco on the disabled list today. While losing a starting player is never good news, Polanco has decided not to have season-ending surgery on the hernia and will instead play through the pain and have the surgery in the offseason. Since he hasn't played since August 6th, Polanco will be eligible to get off the DL in just a few days if he feels healthy enough.



Taking Polanco's place on the roster is pitcher Michael Schwimer, who will be getting his first taste of the big leagues. Schwimer is a 25 year old righty reliever who has put up some great numbers at Lehigh this season, posting a 1.88 ERA, 1.075 WHIP while going 9-1. I wouldn't expect him to earn his way onto the postseason roster or anything but it will be interesting to see what this big kid (6 foot 8, 240 pounds) can do in the Show.

Good news: Madson is back. Bad news: Polanco to the DL

As one Phillie returns, another exits. It has been a year filled with injuries for the Phillies, and that continues today as Placido Polanco has been placed on the disabled list with back problems. The move is retroactive to July 5th, so there is a chance that Polanco misses just a few more games. I wouldn't be surprised if he missed several weeks waiting for his back to get 100%.

With Polanco's return, the Phillies activated closer Ryan Madson, who has missed a month with a hand injury. I would expect Madson to step right back into his 9th inning role, bumping Antonio Bastardo, who did an admirable job as the closer, back to the 8th.

Polanco joins a long list of Phillies on the disabled list, including Joe Blanton, Jose Contreras, Brad Lidge, Roy Oswalt, Shane Victorino.

Roy Halladay will start for NL in All-Star Game

Even though basically everyone in baseball has made the All-Star team at this point, at least the best pitcher in baseball will be starting: Roy Halladay has been named the starting pitcher for the National League. Expect him to pitch an inning or two before exiting the game.

Halladay could end up being the only Phillie to play in the game. Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino are injured and won't play and Cole Hamels has already been replaced after pitching yesterday. There is a chance that Cliff Lee will pitch in the game but he did just pitch Saturday and would likely prefer to rest.

Even though this game "counts", it's nice to know I can turn it off after the second inning and likely not miss any of the Phillies in action.

Four Phillies named to 2011 All-Star Game, Victorino needs our help

The best team in baseball is sending four players to Arizona for the All-Star Game: Placido Polanco, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. Polanco was voted in as a starter while Halladay, Lee and Hamels were no-brainer additions to the NL pitching staff.

Polanco was the only Phillies hitter named outright to the team, and probably justifiably so. With Chase Utley missing a large chunk of the season and Ryan Howard not having a great year by his standards, it's hard to make a strong case for any Phillies hitter. Shane Victorino has a shot at making the All-Star team but, just like in 2009, he is a part of the Final Vote, so he will need our help! Click here to vote and get Victorino to the All-Star game.

As for other Phillies pitchers that could have made the team, Ryan Madson certainly has a case to be there, though his recent injury could have kept him out. Antonio Bastardo has had a great season but probably doesn't have the name recognition to earn an All-Star nod.

Click here to see the full rosters for both leagues.

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 showed interest in Michael Young

Since they signed Cliff Lee back in December, things around the Phillies have been very quiet. That changed today after Jerry Crasnick of ESPN broke the news that the Phillies contacted the Rangers about the possibility of acquiring third baseman Michael Young, who has requested a trade out of Texas. While Crasnick makes it very clear that the talks were short between the two teams and they didn't amount to much of anything, it's still an interesting situation given that the Phillies have no need for a third basemen.

With Placido Polanco at least as good if not better a third baseman than Young, it's curious that the Phillies would even contact the Rangers at all. It's possible the Phillies were just doing their due diligence or perhaps they could have been looking to get Young and then flip him to another team. It isn't known what the Phils were offering the Rangers in return for Young, but you can bet Joe Blanton's name was mentioned. The Rangers were at one point thought to have some interest in acquiring Blanton,but since the signing of Brandon Webb, that interest has likely faded.

Does this trade inquiry for Young mean that the Phillies are actively looking to upgrade at third base? Absolutely not. Ruben Amaro was likely looking to see if he could get a quality player at a bargain price. With the price likely too high for a player with a salary that the Phillies probably can't afford, Amaro quickly moved along.