Phils shake up lineup for tonight's game; Oswalt off DL
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Phils shake up lineup for tonight's game; Oswalt off DL
Daily News staff
ST. LOUIS - The Phillies have shaken up their lineup for Monday night's game against the Cardinals.
Here is tonight's lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins, SS
2. Wilson Valdez, 3B (Placido Polanco said he is not injured, he is just getting a day off.)
3. Raul Ibanez, LF
4. Ryan Howard, 1B
5. John Mayberry, CF
6. Ben Francisco, RF
7. Pete Orr, 2B
8. Carlos Ruiz, C
9. Cliff Lee, P
Also, Roy Oswalt has been activated from the 15-day disabled list, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today, and will start Tuesday night's game against the Cardinals.
Oswalt was originally placed on the DL on May 6, retroactive to April 27, with lower back inflammation. He made one rehabilitation start with Class A Clearwater on May 12, allowing three earned runs on seven hits over 5.0 innings, while striking out five. In five starts with the Phillies this season, he is 3-1 with a 3.33 ERA.
Oswalt admitted tonight that he’ll probably need a couple more starts to build his arm strength back up after missing 3 weeks with lower-back inflammation and being away from the team while helping his family in Mississippi clean up after tornado damage.
Which begs the question of why he’ll pitch against the Cardinals tomorrow night instead of making at least one more rehab appearance.
Ruben Amaro Jr. said that Oswalt is healthy. Case closed.
“I’d rather have him start here than there,” the general manager declared. “Why? He’s healthy. And he’s a professional. “If he said he was not feeling healthy enough to pitch, then we would not pitch him,” Amaro continued. “We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully he’ll be fine. I asked him if he felt okay to pitch, he said fine, so he’s pitching.”
Oswalt agreed that he’s physically fit but added a disclaimer. “It should be interesting,” he said. “The biggest thing is just getting my arm strength going again. You’ve got to build your arm strength when you haven’t thrown in awhile. It may take a start or two to get going.”
It should be fascinating to watch.
In other news tonight: Righthander Vance Worley (2-0, 1.13 in four appearances, two of them starts, was optioned to Triple A Lehigh Valley to make room on the roster for Oswalt. . .Chase Utley will make his second straight start at Class A Clearwater tonight, but Ruben Amaro said he still needs at bats before the team will consider activating him. . .Shane Victorino (right hamstring) was out of the lineup for the second straight game, but is getting closer to being ready.
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Polly probably needs a day off... I think the Phils win tonight.. Lee is due and the lineup for a W... the Cards are a hitting team with shaky pitching this year...— PEV27- So a cluless Iabanez (except against Washington, note that 8 of his 17 hits this month were in that 3 game set) is supposed to be productive in the 3 hole? Ibanez has had some of the worst at bats I have ever seen in the history of baseball this season, including this past week. it's time he and Ben platoon. They are essentially the same, and are basically below average players at this point.— homerjay99
- I can believe that Charley made the lineup all by himself.
- This isn't even a AAA lineup? WTF?— foment3
- We don't win the 1st game against the Braves with out Raul and the times he has been put third in the past has been his best spot. Give me Raul everyday over Ben. Orr and Valzez should be switched. PP needs a day off he has stopped hitting. Can't run these guys out here night after night. He needs a blow— pattymac3
Comment removed.- Really? They better get great pitching from here on out...the team itself is average at best as long as they start Valdez, Orr and Francisco...and people will argue with me but both Victorino and Rollins should no be guarenteed spots...I think both have seen their best years.— mbutley
- Optioned Worley and kept Danys Baez, which is why Charley should be fired.— Deward
- Do you really think Charlie makes those calls? I guess you don't know how it works, do you?
I hate seeing Worley leave - the kid is ice out there, at least so far. And why do people act like Baez has sucked every time out this year? He really hasn't been bad.— COskier - FYI Ibanez has hit great as the # 3 hitter in his career and Mayberry at 5 is a good move-finally a RH power bat behind Howard.— jeff gross
- lol...Ol Chollie went all out...he should have gone the little be EXTRA and started Gload instead of Howard.— hope55
- Looks like a blackhole tonight 2-3 hitters. Need to try Brown and Mayberry in LF-RF to see if that can work until the break. At least they have upside (especially Brown).
- Best record in all of baseball. This is where we are after being hurt and getting nothing from the corner outfielers. Charlie has to play who he has. This means Ibanez and Fransisco are going to play there way back to being productive. If not, there aren't many moves Charlie can make. If we can get healthy, Utley, I like our team more than I did in the off season.— hawk18
- Sweet... let's find a way to maximize the number of unproductive players in a lineup. This ought to work out just great. Three-game losing streak, here we come.— psuflyers
- Maybe somebody other than myself will finally realize that Chawlie is an average manager and does not deserve credit for the Phillies success the past few years. The TEAM is what won games...he has no clue when he actually needs to manage. He has never handled pitchers well and is too ready to let players who everyone else knows stink play on and on and on.— mbutley
