Brad Lidge placed on DL; Dissecting the move
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Brad Lidge placed on DL; Dissecting the move
Daily News staff
Righthander Brad Lidge was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right knee, retroactive to June 7, the Phillies announced today. To take his spot on the 25-man roster, the Phillies selected the contract of catcher Paul Bako from double-A Reading.
The Phillies clubhouse does not open to the media for another hour and 15 minutes, so for approximately that frame of time, we don't have much in the way of an explanation for the club's decision to send Brad Lidge to the 15-day disabled list and replace him with catcher Paul Bako, whom the team signed last month after he was waived by the Cubs.
Clearly, this has as much to do with Lidge's recent results as it does the actual pain in his right knee, which has bothered him since early in the season and led to him being shut down from April 26 through May 1. Lidge blew two one-run ninth-inning leads at Dodger Stadium this weekend, and he is currently 0-3 with a 7.27 ERA. After going a perfect 41-for-41 last regular season, he has converted just 13 of 19 save opportunities this season. The difference between Phillies sweeps at Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium were three blown saves.
I talked to Lidge about his knee on Thursday in Los Angeles. I was curious about how his knee had responded after pitching in, and saving, four straight games from May 29 through June 1. At the time, he had saved five straight games, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out five in 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
Lidge said that the pain in the knee was still there, but that he did not think it was affecting him on the field.
"It's stronger now, I think," said Lidge, who has worn special inserts in his shoes to fix a slight bend in his right leg that might have contributed to his frequent knee issues. "It feels like I don't really have to worry about it as much anymore. I don't have to worry if it's going to respond. It's stronger, and I am confident that it will [respond].
"[The inflammation is] still there, and it might be for a while, but I'm not thinking about it when I'm pitching."
But Lidge blew a save the following night, allowing two runs on two hits in 2/3 of an inning. Then, on Saturday, he allowed a solo home run to Rafael Furcal that tied the game in the ninth. The Dodgers went on to win in 12 innings.
Whether or not Lidge was being a good soldier in playing down the knee injury, the fact remains the Phillies need him to rediscover the groove that he had last season. They don't need him to be perfect again. But the difference between three blown saves and six blown saves at this point is the difference between a three-game lead in the National League East and a six-game lead.
If such a move was going to be made, now is a logical time. Lefthander J.C. Romero is back and has set-up type stuff. Set-up man Ryan Madson, meanwhile, has been impeccable. Heading into tonight's game against the Mets, the righthander is riding a streak of 10 2/3 scoreless innings. During that stretch he has allowed just five hits and three walks while striking out 13. The Phillies have also been carrying an extra arm in the bullpen since sending outfielder John Mayberry Jr. back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last Monday night.
A few other observations:
1) The move is retroactive to June 7, the last time Lidge pitched, meaning he will eligible to return on June 22.
2) Bako is known as an experienced defensive catcher, one who served as Greg Maddux's personal back-stop for a time in Atlanta. Although the Phillies have not said this, it would seem that the move will allow Chris Coste to become the right-handed bench player that the team has sought since the end of last season.
3) Bako is expected to be in uniform tonight against the Mets.
Comment removed.
I'm thinking this was done because of the toughness and importance of the upcoming 2 series. Charlie wants Lidge to work things out and would prefer he didn't do it during the Met's series incase he's not able to. He's probably looking at the pyschological effect of a blown save against the Met's and a little less so against the Red Sox. If Lidge is not on the DL then Manuel has to throw him in there after the comments about Lidge being his man after the last 2 blown saves. This gives Manuel a convienent excuse to trot the reliever that has been playing the best out there in save opps which my opinion is Mad Dog.— playa44225- This is a move they had to make. They need to give Lidge some time to shake this rough start. The Phillies are playing really well right now and should have had a sweep against the best team in baseball. They had to rest Lidge one way or another now.— FederalStreet
- Comment removed.
- Murph - how injured is Lidge, really?— frankatlasalle
- Wow, you people are dense, read the article. Bako is not "another left-handed hitter", he is the emergency catcher and that will be his only role. Bringing up Bako allows us to use Coste as a right handed pinch hitter. Coste has been used sparingly as a PH because you don't PH with your last catcher unless you absolutely need someone to PH. Now, we don't have to worry about this. The only way Bako ever gets an AB is if we are absolutely desperate.— robm0202
- this is a nice way for the Phils to let Lidge "heal" up...— WC-Jonesy
- The way the bullpen has been over used early in the season because of the starters ineffectiveness, I think the Phillies are making a trade for a reliever soon. I don’t think they can survive this tough stretch, where they play the Mets, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Toronto again, and then Atlanta follow by the Mets with this bullpen without adding a good reliever. The trade could be big. Houston Street, Octavio Dotel? They are both available, according to reports. There are also a few outfielders and as we know pitchers available. Maybe a mega trade with the Rockies is in place. Maybe Bako or Coste will be part of the package. Why call up a another weak hitting catcher that happens to hit from the left side when an RH bat is a more pressing need? Coste is not the answer as a RH pinch hitter.— EL Zorro
- thought he was more injured than he said he was. I am fine with this move as it is good and we have enough depth to do this anyway. I thought it wasn't his "head". He was leaving pitches up in the zone which means he couldn't come down to throw the pitches right. Hopefully it doesn't turn into anything serious.— Prego614
- again- why Bako? keep coste as the emergency catcher... so Coste is a RH PH now- big Deal!! thats the point! Coste is washed up... bring up a guy like Mayberry with some upside and power...— Sillies
- Timing is good since it's still early. If Madson does the job and Lidge comes back and fails it will be easier to go back to Madson. Lidge has time to get his head right which is why he is on the DL. If Feliz doesn't boot that ball we'd have to wait another week. I like Lidge but we can't sacrifice the season to get one guy right. Any other player screws up that much a change is made.. see J-Roll.— dinsdale
- Interesting to see what Charlie does when Moyer starts. Moyer and Coste as you have pointed out as the battery have outstanding numbers.— Dull
- This could be a real problem given Lidge has had surgery on that knee several (at least 2) times. If he's close to bone on bone, his signing last year isn't going to look real good. We should all be losing sleep over this, because Phils don't win the WS last year without the guy going 48-48. The other answers aren't going to come until the clubhouse opens, games get played and we/they learn more about Lidge's issue.— PhillySubsMac
- Good article...looking forward to seeing how this plays out— Rauuuul
- Good article...looking forward to seeing how this plays out— Rauuuul
