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.

Good riddance? Phillies place Baez on DL, recall Bastardo

Phillies fans have been calling for the team to release Danys Baez for months. While they didn't quite get their wish, those that despise Baez and his 5.14 ERA will be happy to know that the Phillies had to place the reliever on the disabled list due to back spasms. In his place, Antonio Bastardo was called up from Triple A to reprise his role as lefty specialist.

Baez has been the very definition of a disappointment this season. When he was signed in the offseason, the Phillies probably thought they were bringing in someone who could lock down the 7th inning and help bridge the gap from the starting pitcher to Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge. Instead, Baez has been completely unreliable and can only pitch in low-leverage situations when the Phillies are up or down by multiple runs. What makes his bad season even worse is knowing that he's signed on to play another season with the Phillies.

Phillies place Ryan Howard on the DL

After the news came out that he was going back to Philadelphia to be evaluated, we knew this was coming: Ryan Howard has been placed on the disabled list. While the initial reports were that Howard's ankle sprain wouldn't keep him out for long, apparently it was severe enough to keep him out for at least 15 days.

John Mayberry has been called up to replace Howard on the roster. Mayberry is an outfielder so he won't likely be playing first base, meaning Ross Gload and Cody Ransom will likely platoon at first for the next two weeks.

Howard is just the latest in a long line of Phillies players who have spent time on the disabled list. It's amazing this team has even been able to stay in the race with most of their starting lineup having been out for weeks at a time.

Ryan Howard injures ankle in Phillies win

The Phillies may have beaten the Nationals 6-4 in 11 innings but they may have paid quite a price: Ryan Howard injured his ankle on a slide into second base in the first inning of the game. While Phillies fans all feared the worst due to how Howard's leg appeared to buckle against the base, the initial reports are all positive as X-rays came up negative and the Phillies are calling the injury a sprained ankle.

After the game, Charlie Manuel speculated that Howard wouldn't need a DL stint but "might miss a day or two". Howard also so that he's in a lot of pain and he was seen on crutches as he left the park so it's probably still to early to judge whether he will miss an extended amount of time. You can bet the Phillies will take a close look at the ankle on their off day tomorrow and then proceed from there. Judging from their bad luck with injuries this season, don't be surprised to hear that Howard is placed on the disabled list tomorrow.

Should Howard miss extensive time, look for Ross Gload and Cody Ransom to play first base. Yep, that's quite a drop-off.
(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Phillies place Victorino on DL, call up Domonic Brown

Never has an injury brought so much excitement to the Philadelphia sports scene. Due to the abdominal strain he suffered in last night's game, Shane Victorino has been placed on the 15 day disabled list. In his place, the Phillies have called up minor league super-prospect Domonic Brown.

With Victorino out, Jayson Werth will move to center and Brown is expected to get the bulk of the playing time in right. While Brown adds yet another lefty bat to an already lefty-heavy team, he has certainly earned his shot at the majors with the way he is ripping up minor league pitching this season.

While it comes at the expense of Victorino, the fans that have been clamoring for Brown to be in the lineup finally get their wish. While he certainly won't be a savior, let's hope the kid is as good as advertised.

Phillies win 6th straight but may lose Victorino

Now this is the Phillies team that we've all been waiting to see! On Tuesday night, the Phillies won their 6th straight game, beating the D'backs 9-5 behind three 2-run homers. With Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Cody Ransom providing the home run fireworks, the Phillies looked a lot like the team that has represented the National League in the World Series the last two years.

Not everything went perfectly for the Phillies on Tuesday night, however, as Shane Victorino suffered an injury that forced him to leave the game. Word after the game was that Victorino strained his left oblique muscle and he will be evaluated tomorrow. While all the initial reports are that the injury isn't serious, an injury like this could linger and could force Victorino to go on the disabled list. Should that happen, Jayson Werth will likely move to center (and won't get traded) and prospect Domonic Brown could get his long-awaited call-up to the majors and play in right. With the way Brown has been tearing up Triple A pitching (.340 AVG, 5 HR, 19 RBI in 27 games), he could provide a huge spark to the Phillies offense. Of course, the Phils could also simply start Ben Francisco in right and call up John Mayberry, a right-handed bat that has some experience in the majors and can platoon with Raul Ibanez in left.

Despite the bad news about Victorino, you can't help but get excited about how well the Phillies are playing. Their 6 game winning streak has pulled them to just 3.5 games behind the Braves and only 2 out in the Wild Card. With Roy Halladay taking the mound tomorrow, the Phillies look poised to continue their run back into contention.

Sigh of relief: Rollins will only miss a few days

Forgive me for jumping to conclusions but after word got out that Jimmy Rollins was limping after last night's game, given how things have gone for the Phillies this season, I figured J-Roll would be headed to the disabled list. Good news came out today, though, that Rollins merely bruised his foot when he fouled a pitch off, meaning he will only miss a few days and will not be put on the DL.

While there is always a possibility the injury worsens for Rollins and he misses extended time, I think it's safe to say the Phillies dodged a bullet on this one. Sure, being without Rollins as the team is gaining momentum will hurt for a couple of days but the Phils couldn't afford to have another regular miss significant time and hope to keep their playoff hopes alive. As we have seen, having to rely on Wilson Valdez and Greg Dobbs to play every day is just murder on the offense.

Phillies injury update: Utley out 8 weeks, Polanco out 3-4

The Phillies beat writers have spoken and it isn't good news: Chase Utley has had his surgery and will be out for 8 weeks. Yikes. Also, an official timetable for the return of Placido Polanco was announced: he will rest for the next two weeks and will likely not return for 3-4 weeks.

That means we have several weeks of Wilson Valdez and Greg Dobbs ahead, folks. Ruben Amaro better hit the phones.

Utley to have surgery, miss 5-6 weeks

The road to a third straight World Series appearance just got a whole lot tougher. Word has come out today that Chase Utley, who injured his thumb sliding into second base on Monday, will need surgery to repair a torn ligament. While there has been no official word on how long he will be out, David Murphy of Philly.com believes Utley will miss 5-6 weeks.

No matter how you look at it, this is a huge blow for the Phillies. While Utley hasn't quite been the hitter we've been used to over the last few years, his departure leaves a gaping hole in the lineup for an extended period of time. In his absence, and with Placido Polanco also out, the Phillies are forced to turn to a combination of Greg Dobbs, Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro on a daily basis. Expect the Phils to actively be trying to acquire someone who can play second or third base in the coming days.

With Utley out for about two months and Polanco shelved for an undetermined amount of time, the Phillies infield is in shambles. There is no way a team can contend for the playoffs with players like Wilson Valdez playing every day. About the best the Phils can hope for now is to tread water until Utley comes back in August and then make a playoff push then.

Phillies put Utley, Polanco on the DL

This injury stuff is really getting ridiculous. Just when it looked like they might be getting close to having a healthy lineup again, the Phillies today announced that both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco have been placed on the 15 day disabled list. Talk about a double dose of bad news.

Utley's injury is a sprained thumb that occurred last night when he slid into second base attempting to stretch a single into a double. While the Phillies still haven't revealed the actual extent of the injury, they will definitely be without their star second baseman for the next few weeks.

As for Polanco, he's been dealing with an elbow injury all season long and needs the time off to allow it to heal. Polanco hasn't played since the first game of the Blue Jays series so he was likely retroactively placed on the 15 day DL.

With two roster spots now opened up, the Phillies have called up Greg Dobbs and Brian Bocock from Lehigh. Neither player deserves to be on the major league roster but the Phillies infield is spread incredibly thin at this time. As it is, if the Phillies don't make a trade over the next two weeks, you are going to see Wilson Valdez and Juan Castro starting on a daily basis. For a team that already struggles to score, having those two toiling at the bottom of the order is going to make things even uglier.

No, it's not quite time to panic just yet, Phillies fans. Losing Utley and Polanco are tough blows but neither has an injury that sounds too serious. Now, if Jimmy Rollins suffers a setback and the team is forced to go with Dobbs or Bocock on a daily basis....