The injury bug is starting to sweep the Phillies bullpen. First Brad Lidge went on the DL with an "injury", either to his knee or to his psyche. Now, Scott Eyre, lefty specialist extraordinaire, is joining Lidge on the sidelines. Eyre has a right calf strain, so the Phils placed him on the 15 day disabled list. Early indications are that he will be back with the team as soon as the 15 days are up.
To replace Eyre, the Phillies called up former rookie sensation Kyle Kendrick. Last we saw Kendrick, he was getting knocked around last September as a starting pitcher. This time around, he figures to contribute to the team as a long reliever.
As the Phillies bullpen continues to get re-shaped by recent injuries, they continue to lose some of their depth. Losing Lidge doesn't affect the closer role because Ryan Madson can close just as well. It instead effects the 8th inning setup role, where they have to juggle J.C. Romero and Chad Durbin. Losing Eyre means that Jack Taschner steps in as the primary lefty specialist, a role that he hasn't really filled too well. Romero also now becomes the only other lefty option.
Here are the roles for the Phillies bullpen as I see them:
Long relief:
Chan Ho Park
Kyle Kendrick
Lefty specialist:
Jack Taschner
7th inning:
Clay Condrey
8th inning:
J.C. Romero
Chad Durbin
Closer:
Ryan Madson
Friday, June 12, 2009
Phillies bullpen re-modeling: Eyre down with injury, Kendrick up
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2 comments:
I like the look of having Madson in that closer role. I'm curious to see if they move him if they still believe in lidge.
All signs point to Lidge returning to the closer spot when he is deemed "healthy" again, whenever that is. It's nice to know Madson is a decent fallback option should Lidge implode. Again.
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