Phils shake up lineup for tonight's game; Oswalt off DL
ST. LOUIS - The Phillies have shaken up their lineup for Monday night's game against the Cardinals.
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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yeah send down the better 5th starter!! wtf!! Trade fat boy already!!— sawgrass- Ibanez' recent numbers were inflated in that 3 game series vs the Nats. If you exclude the Nats stats, I think Raul is about 2 for 60.
So, you have a guy hitting 3rd whose only recent success was against the Nats and you have a double play machine in the 2 hole & don't forget Ben Fran is something like 2 for his last 30 in the 6 hole.
Rollins only has 2 hits in his last 16 AB's leading off.
Westbrook will slop up so much off-speed pitches to Howard but Howard will stay chase as he refuses to walk.
Tonite's starting pitcher for the Cardinals is already foaming at the mouth about facing this high school lineup.
This could be real ugly tonite, folks but get used to it.
— johnpaulcpa - Isn't Worley just about thier 2nd or 3rd best pitcher???— ericg610
- Worley will be back...Baez will develop mysterious impingement on elbow after All Star Break. Guess when Big Truck comes back Stutes goes down. But, that's about an even trade and BT has about 34 years of experience that will help him stay calm in pennant race. And pennant race we will have, Braves look like Phils, but with better hitting. Florida looks like Phils in 2007. Or Marlins in 2002. Young, strong, growing in confidence. Gonna be a fun summer (if you like lots of games with meaning).— Eephus
- I think Mathieson goes down when Contreras comes back.
The Baez decision is probably not made until Lidge comes back.— s - Why are they so mean to Lee? Whenever Rollins gets on 1st, he should steal do Valdez doesn't hit in to a DP.— awl
- come on...this makes no sense, they should have sent down Baez & kept Worley, who was having a real impact on the team...Rube should acknowledge his mistake with Baez and get rid of him— Dallas Sucks
- Vance is the only guy who should be in the 5th starter spot. Yikes. This is a sign of desperation and stupidity at the same time. Unless Rube, of course, trades Blanton or Oswelt. For a hitter. Any hitter.— Koons
- If Lee pitches a shutout tonight, he will not lose; however, he will not win either. This lineup does not scare any opponent, even Westbrook who could pitch like Brian Westbrook and shut this lineup out. For those of you who keep proclaiming the first place record, the Phils are putting tremendous pressure on their starting pitchers who know that if they give up more than two runs, they are done. At some point soon, that will catch up to them. They need Utley badly and a healthy Carlos Ruiz and a platoon at the corner outfield spots. Charlie has to stop waiting for three-run homers.— chuckw
- That lineup is absurd. I dont care if they score 10 runs. If they do its just dumb luck. Victorino is out, Utley is already out and you are "resting" one of the only good hitters you have in Polanco?? LaRussa must have laughed out loud when he saw that lineup. To top it off Lee is being squeezed tonight. If he has to pitch right down the middle of the plate this may get ugly. If the Cards score 2 runs I'm not sure the Phils can match that no matter how bad Westbrook is.— Sewellmatt
- Blanton will have to have a season of good games before the Phillies are offered anything of value for him. If you were a GM, would you take a chance on him?— kmon
- You didn't hear? A bunch of GMs are aching to give us their top players for Blanton, Ibanez, Baez, and Lidge.
This "not quite an injury" of Blanton's and his inconsistency have probably killed any possible trade, even if we eat a lot of his salary.
— s - Know whats scary? Cliff Lee may be a better hitter than everyone in tonights lineup other than Rollins and Howard. Im being somewhat sarcastic......but just somewhat.— Sewellmatt
- Worley sent down? They must watch different games than me— Ssteve115
- They said on the broadcast that Polly has a sore back. Yikes.
— s
