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.

Phillies activate Polanco, dump Juan Castro

The Phillies continue their return to health today as they have activated Placido Polanco from the disabled list. Polanco, who hasn't played since June 25th due to elbow issues, will be a welcome sight for a Phillies offense that continues to struggle to score runs. Perhaps having a table-setter like Polanco back at the top of the lineup will spark their stagnant attack.

To make room for Polanco, the Phillies have released Juan Castro. Castro was a disappointing bench player this year, hitting only .198 in 54 games, and was made expendable after being outplayed by Wilson Valdez. After being signed in the offseason for $700,000, Castro was brought in to take Eric Bruntlett's utility role with the hopes that he could provide a little more bat to go with his defensive versatility. Why the Phillies felt they needed to sign the 38 year old Castro when anyone from the minors could have filled his role will remain a mystery.

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.

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....

Phillies start 2010 season best way possible

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

You couldn't asked for a better Opening Day. The Phillies two biggest offseason acquisitions, Roy Halladay and Placido Polanco, contributed in big ways as the Phils crushed the Nationals, 11-1, to start off the 2010 season.

I think I can get used to this Halladay guy. Doc went 7 strong innings and struck out 9 as he cruised through the Nationals lineup after a slight hiccup in the first inning. If the game wasn't so out of hand, Halladay, who threw 88 pitches, could have stayed in the game longer and showed no signs of slowing down. Cliff who?

As for the offense, Polanco provided the biggest hit amongst many, hitting a grand slam in the 7th inning to blow the game open. The Phils knew what they were getting in Polanco, a professional hitter who makes contact and advances the runners, but the 6 RBI's he had today were just a bonus. Ryan Howard also hit his first jack of the season as every Phillie starter had a hit and scored a run.

Sure, it was just the Nationals, but the Phillies had just about the perfect start to the season. Hot starts are not a given with the Phillies, and it was just one game, but this could portend to a good April as they play the Nationals 5 more times and the Astros 3 times before they play any real competition.

With all that has gone on with the Flyers and Eagles, I'm glad the Phillies are back in action. It's nice to see a Philly sports team take care of business in a game they should win. 162-0, here they come!

It's official: the Phillies are bringing back Placido Polanco

UPDATE: It's official: Placido Polanco is a Phillie, he has signed the 3 year, 18 million dollar contract.

2009 is the year of the comeback in Philadelphia. First, Brian Boucher returned to the Flyers, then the Eagles brought back Jeremiah Trotter, then Allen Iverson signed with the Sixers. Now, the Phillies are on the verge of bringing one of their old players back to play third base: Placido Polanco.

According to Todd Zolecki, Polanco, who you last remember playing second base for the Phillies in 2005, is close to signing a 3 year deal with the Phillies reportedly worth 18 million dollars. The deal will also include an option for a 4th year and is believed to be finalized pending a physical.

While your first thought might be to question the merit of signing a 34 year old player to a 3 year contract, don't forget how smart the Raul Ibanez signing from last summer looks. Polanco is a steady veteran, one who will likely bat second in the lineup and give the Phillies a .290 batting average and get on base with regularity. While he lacks power, Polanco will get driven in by the big bats and will make a nice addition to the Phillies homer-friendly lineup.

The irony in the signing of Polanco is that the Phillies will be playing him at third base, a position many fans hoped he would play for them back in 2005. If you remember, Polanco was the regular second baseman with the team before he was traded to make room for the emerging Chase Utley. Many fans pleaded with the Phillies to keep Polanco and move him to third base but apparently the management back then didn't think it would work. Now, 4 plus years later, the Phillies will be playing Polanco at third base, a position he really hasn't played with any regularity for several seasons.

With Polanco likely moving into the number 2 spot in the lineup, you are going to see a shake-up in the Phillies order next season. Shane Victorino will drop down, likely to the number 7 spot that Pedro Feliz hit in last season. It's nothing against Victorino, Polanco is just a more ideal number 2 hitter.

The Phillies have apparently chosen to pass on Adrian Beltre and Chone Figgins, the top two free agent third basemen on the market, and instead have gone with an older, more stable veteran in Polanco. While some will be disappointed the Phillies didn't spend bigger bucks to get a more talented player, making this signing should leave the Phils with a few bucks to pick up a relief pitcher or two.

Who will be next in the Great Philadelphia Comeback story? Personally, I'm rooting for the return of Jim Thome or Eric Lindros.