CAN HEAR CLEARWATER CALLING
Kris Benson is making progress.
Real progress.
He threw four-plus innings in an extended spring training game today in Clearwater, Fla. He allowed three hits, one run and one walk. He struck out four. He threw 75 pitches, and his fastball hovered around 86 to 90 mph. That's an increase from his start last week, when he topped out at 87 mph. If Benson comes out of it OK, he will pitch Sunday for single-A Clearwater.
"It was encouraging for him and it was encouraging for us," Ruben Amaro Jr. said.
There's still no timetable for his return, but the Phillies have said sometime between June 15 and July 15 is possible.
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Tonight's lineup against Colorado:
1) Jimmy Rollins, SS
2) Shane Victorino, CF
3) Chase Utley, 2B
4) Ryan Howard, 1B
5) Pat Burrell, LF
6) Geoff Jenkins, RF
7) Pedro Feliz, 3B
8) Carlos Ruiz, C
9) Kyle Kendrick, P
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Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.
This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.
Gelb is in his third season covering the Phillies. He was hired by The Inquirer in August 2009 after graduating from Syracuse University. He has also covered baseball at The Star-Ledger and Cape Cod Times. Born and raised in Bucks County, he attended Central Bucks High School West. Follow him on Twitter here.
To submit a question for Matt Gelb's Phillies mailbag, click here.
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