A slight, but interesting, rotation shift
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A slight, but interesting, rotation shift
David Murphy, Daily News Staff Writer
Even before Kyle Kendrick allowed six runs in 1.2 innings Wednesday night in a 14-7 win over the Nationals, the Phillies made a barely-perceptible, yet highly-interesting shift in their rotation that gives them plenty of flexibility in the coming week. And while manager Charlie Manuel brushed off a question about Kendrick's future in the rotation, they could delay his next start until a week from Saturday in Arizona, by which point veteran righthander Joe Blanton could be ready to be activated from the disabled list.
Kendrick's fifth day falls on Monday, which happens to be an off day for the Phillies. They could elect to skip Kendrick in the rotation rather than start him Tuesday against the Braves, who feature a pair of ferocious left-handed sluggers in Jason Heyward and Brian McCann.
Additionally, the Phillies have flip-flopped Roy Halladay and Jamie Moyer in the rotation, starting Halladay Friday on normal rest and Moyer Saturday on six days rest. This ensures that Halladay will face the Braves even if they do not skip Kendrick, and it gives them the option of lining up Halladay, Hamels and J.A. Happ for starts against the Braves, and scheduling Moyer and Kendrick's next starts for Friday and Saturday against the Diamondbacks in Arizona. To do so, they would have to push Moyer back one day further to Sunday and start Hamels on Saturday on normal rest. That would then leave Happ in line to start against the Braves on Tuesday on normal rest, Halladay to start Wednesday on normal rest, and Hamels to start Thursday on normal rest.
Either Moyer or Kendrick would start Friday, April 24 against the Diamondbacks, unless Blanton is ready to be activated from the disabled list, which is possible. On that day, Blanton would be three-and-a-half weeks removed from his oblique strain. His initial prognosis called for a three-to-six week recovery. GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said today that Blanton's rehab is going very well, and that he could throw a bullpen session on Friday.
It is still unlikely that Blanton will be ready by next weekend, since the Phillies would probably want him to make at least one rehab appearance. Still, the possibility is there.
Rotation as it stands now:
- 4/14 v. WSN - Kendrick
- 4/15 v. WSN - Happ
- 4/16 v. FLA - Halladay
- 4/17 v. FLA - Moyer
- 4/18 v. FLA - Hamels
- 4/19 - OFF
- 4/20 v. ATL - Kendrick
- 4/21 v. ATL - Happ
- 4/22 v. ATL - Halladay
- 4/23 @ ARI - Moyer
- 4/24 @ ARI - Hamels
- 4/25 @ ARI - Kendrick
Potential rotation:
- 4/14 v. WSN - Kendrick
- 4/15 v. WSN - Happ
- 4/16 v. FLA - Halladay
- 4/17 v. FLA - Hamels (last pitched 4/12)
- 4/18 v. FLA - Moyer (last pitched 4/10)
- 4/19 v. OFF - [Kendrick]
- 4/20 @ ATL - Happ (normal rest)
- 4/21 @ ATL - Halladay (normal rest)
- 4/22 @ ATL - Hamels (normal rest)
- 4/23 @ ARI - Kendrick
- 4/24 @ ARI - Moyer
- 4/25 @ ARI - Happ
This would also give the Phillies the ability to have Halladay's next six starts come against the Mets, NL contenders San Francisco, St. Louis, Colorado and Milwaukee, and Boston.
Getting Halladay as many starts as possible on normal rest is a no-brainer...nothing "interesting" about that decision, it's a slam-dunk decision.— JimG- Murph, you are good reading. Check High Cheese everyday. Appreciate it. Keep it up. Go Phils.— greenflyer
- I hope to never see Kyle Kendrick throw another pitch in a Phillies uniform.— Jeff Dowder
Thank you, Jeff Dowder. I concur. Kendrick has had every chance, and he keeps failing. He is not a major league starter, and I don't think he's a long reliever, either. If they need another starter before Blanton is ready, why not try Figueroa? He's started on and off through his career, and he can at least get through the second or third inning.- Leg bone's connected to the knee bone, knee bone's connedted to the thigh bone.....and so it goes. Rotation is all about the connections. Good job Murph. Did you use the old abacus to figure all this out ?— mick314
- There it is again...I don't remember there ever being so much criticism of our sports writers. So much cynicism and nagging, annoying complaining. "Nice job, you're a loser" "Murph, what the hell made you write THAT article?" Just read the news and give us all a break— ericyshel
"barely-perceptible, yet highly-interesting shift" -- that hyphen is highly incorrect. It's not a compound adjective. Barely and highly modify perceptible and interesting. Just sayin' . . . Otherwise, Murph's the best in town, along with Kate Fagan.— Leegles- Kedrick was brutal last night. Each pitch he threw took about 2 minutes from set up to delivery. If he wasn't pulled, the game would still be in the fourth...— fins
- Hola, Pedro?— PhilaSota
- i don't see how they can afford to start KK against the Braves. the "Triple H" rotation would be nice to see against Atlanta.— mbphilly
- Hope your right on the rotation shift Murph. Nice job as always.— psumet51
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Kendrick = Ego. Getting rocked by Was hitters (minus their best player) might be the best thing to happen to him. If someone doesn't get a hold of him and straighten his head in order to get the spring training swagger back, he's headed back to the minors for sure. In the words of Crash Davis, "You just got lesson number one. Don't think, it can only hurt the ball club."- Let's see, this rotation shift: May get an extra start or two out of Halladay, and lines him up against some strong teams Gets Hamels' next start in a night game instead of a day game--check out his splits, it's like he's a vampire or something Gives the 47 year old Moyer another day off between starts Delays KK's next appearance for a week and prevents him coming up against a rival with two left handed fastball hitters, who KK has shown he can't get out. Looks like a no-brainer to me. Murph, can you forward your post to Charlie, just in case :)— phatti
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