Tuesday, the Phillies were hopeful that Raul Ibanez would play in a rehab game yesterday.  He did not, though he and the front office said they were just being careful. Yesterday, they were optimistic he would play today. He won't.  Today, they say they are hopeful he will play tomorrow. Ibanez will work out with the Reading Phillies today.

I'm not saying he's experiencing setbacks, and he says he isn't.  But it is safe to say this isn't the best-case scenario. 

Also, Brett Myers had a follow-up exam with Dr. Bryan Kelly yesterday, the doc who performed his hip surgery. Myers was cleared to begin a throwing program in two weeks.

Jimmy Rollins spoke tonight about his four-game layoff and persistent slump. Asked if the break was counterproductive, he said he didn’t think so, but that he is still trying to find whatever it is he has lost: 

Veteran Rodrigo Lopez will start Friday against the Mets.  I know that many of you are justifiably eager to see Carlos Carrasco or Drew Carpenter, because both hold more potential and are of greater interest to Phils fans, but the organization seemed to be leaning toward the experienced candidate in recent days. 

Lopez has a shot to remain in the rotation for a while if he performs, as did Antonio Bastardo before him. Heading down to the clubhouse momentarily to flesh out the story.

UPDATE 6:19pm: It also appears that before his pitching career began, Lopez was the personal physician for Queen Elizabeth I.  Hmm. Interesting guy; can't wait to meet him.

The Phillies have acquired minor league pitcher Brian Mazone from the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team confirmed. Mazone is a former Phillies farmhand, and the move could very well be intended to plug a hole in the Lehigh Valley rotation if/when Carlos Carrasco, Drew Carpenter or Rodrigo Lopez is recalled to start Thursday or Friday or whenever they decide to use a youngster.  I wouldn't be surprised by an announcement on that later today. Mazone, 32, is 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in triple-A this season.

A few injury updates: Antonio Bastardo has been placed on the 15-day DL with a left posterior shoulder strain. LHP Sergio Escalona, who is racking up enough frequent flyer miles for a nice offseason vacation, has once again been recalled from Lehigh Valley.

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Scott Eyre, whose absence has demonstrated how important he is to the bullpen, will begin a rehab assignment tomorrow for the Gulf Coast Phillies in Clearwater, Fla.

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Raul Ibanez was limping around the clubhouse during the weekend series in Toronto, and said that while he hoped to return from the DL Friday, he was not sure if that would be possible. An on-time return seems unlikely.

In case you missed it, here's a part of my story on the Phillies team meeting Friday.  You can read the rest here.

TORONTO - The visitors' clubhouse at the Rogers Centre is small, with minimal floor space between the rows of lockers that line each wall. After Friday night's game, manager Charlie Manuel stood on the carpet in the middle of the room, according to several Phillies players. He spoke passionately, but did not shout. The players sat in folding chairs in front of their lockers, most looking at Manuel and listening.

The manager had not held a team meeting since the beginning of spring training. In March, Manuel told his players to remember how they became World Series champions - by focusing only on the moment, avoiding distractions, and functioning as a cohesive unit.

He rarely addresses the group as a whole, believing that words have more power when carefully chosen. He resisted the growing urge to express his frustration until Friday night. Before that night's game, Manuel said that berating professional athletes rarely achieves the desired result. He admitted that he still was looking for the right strategy to address the Phillies' poor play as the team lost 11 of 13 games. They hadn't just been losing. They also were playing sloppy defense, carelessly wasting at-bats, running the bases mindlessly, and pitching ineffectively.

Friday's game was especially difficult for Manuel. He watched Toronto starter Ricky Romero no-hit his team through six innings, a tough spectacle for the old hitting coach to endure. He saw the usually reserved Chase Utley bark at an umpire for the second night in a row, and saw Cole Hamels ejected at the end of a disappointing start.

Finally, he noticed that his players were perhaps taking their losing streak too lightly. Manuel does not mind levity in the clubhouse, even after a loss. He likes a loose team. But he didn't think that the joking he had seen lately was appropriate, considering how badly the Phillies were playing. He decided it was time for a meeting.

The Phils' clubhouse remained closed for 20 minutes after the game, double the usual time. When the doors opened, several players were willing to discuss the state of the team, but Manuel's speech remained an internal matter.

Interviews yesterday morning offered a better glimpse. According to several players and others with knowledge of the meeting, Manuel addressed the team for about 10 minutes. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was in the clubhouse, but not an active participant in the meeting, a player said.

The manager stood in the middle of the room.

"It was nothing too dramatic," one player said. "He told us we were better than this."

The St.Petersburg Times has reported that a fan has accused J.C. Romero of assault. The fan, 25-year-old Robert Eaton told the Times that he asked Romero for an autograph after Thursday’s game, and was refused. He then said he made a comment about steroids, and Romero assaulted him.

This is what Romero said:   

The St. Petersburg Times has reported that a Phillies player was involved in an altercation with a fan at about 11:00 Thursday night near Tropicana Field, and the Rays confirmed that. The identity of the player is not yet known, and we are awaiting a statement from the Phillies.

The Phillies just issued this statement: "We're disappointed to learn about the alleged incident with a Rays fan and one of our players following Thursday night's game at Tropicana Field. We are in the process of gathering all of the details surrounding the situation. Until such information is provided, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time."
 

It my distinct honour to be reporting to you from Canada. Saw my first big league game here, back when it was the Skydome. Sat in the right or left field nosebleeds for Orioles-Jays. I remember looking straight down at the top of Joe Orsalak’s head. Then a kid sitting behind us had too many snacks and puked on my mom. That got us moved to a seat right behind the plate, compliments of the Jays. Ah, memories.