Phillies starting pitching woes continue: Moyer strains elbow

With the demotion of Kyle Kendrick, the Phillies were already on the lookout for a new starting pitcher. While the team could turn to J.A. Happ or bring back Nelson Figueroa to fill in, rumors are swirling that Ruben Amaro is close to making a deal for a top-flight pitcher, with the names Dan Haren and Roy Oswalt being tossed around.

Well, now things are about to get even more interesting as Phillies might have two rotation spots to fill: Jamie Moyer, who left Tuesday's game after just one inning, has a strained left elbow. While there has been no initial word as to whether Moyer will miss any time, I would be willing to bet that Moyer will miss at least his next start and could easily find himself on the disabled list.

Moyer hasn't exactly been great this season but his injury puts the Phillies in a tough position, basically forcing them to make a deal for some rotation help and bring Happ back to the team whether he is ready or not. Being forced to make a trade is not a position you want to be in; you can bet that other teams around the majors will try to take advantage of your desperation. As I've said all along, as long as Amaro doesn't move Domonic Brown, I'm all for the Phillies making the necessary moves to improve their rotation.

Add all of this speculation to the rumors surrounding the possible trade of Jayson Werth and we have the makings of a very interesting week and a half before the trade deadline. Of course, if the Phillies keep losing games, there might not be much of a point to them doing anything.