Posted: Monday, February 20, 2012, 2:52 PM | 5 comments |
 

Contreras to throw off mound
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Jose Contreras said he will throw off a mound Tuesday, taking another step in his recovery from elbow surgery. (Yong Kim / Staff Photographer)

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Jose Contreras plopped into his chair and lifted both of his arms in the air. His right arm was wrapped heavily in ice, but the 40-year-old Cuban was proud to announce another step in his recovery from elbow surgery.

Contreras said he will throw off a mound Tuesday. He threw in front of the mound Monday without any problems, so he'll proceed to the next step.

The Phillies have no idea what to expect from Contreras, but they are paying him $2.5 million in 2012 with the hopes of using him in the eighth inning. There is cautious optimism that Contreras can be ready by opening day and the fact that he'll go off a mound this early appears to reinforce that faith.

But the team and Contreras won't know what sort of workload he can handle until he actually tests the arm in strenuous situations, like pitching on back-to-back days. That is why the team signed Chad Qualls, another veteran to reinforce the bullpen. Qualls has yet to report to camp due to a personal issue. 

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Posted by Matt Gelb @ 2:52 PM  Permalink | 5 comments
5
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:23 PM, 02/20/2012
    Tuesday - Halladay to throw off mound. Wednesday - Lee; Thursday- Hamels; Friday-Worley....
    — jimmymack
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:46 PM, 02/20/2012
    jimmymack, If Halladay is Tuesday, how does that line up the staff for the second week in October if the playoffs begin on a Wednesday? Thanks!
    — Elysium Baseball
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:32 PM, 02/20/2012
    Contreras is toast. He's a highly paid bullpen coach and by all accounts a pretty good one. I'm expecting ZERO from him this year and any contribution is gravy.
    — DennyP
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:32 AM, 02/21/2012
    Like him, he had what it takes and hopefully will get it back and give us another good year, good luck Jose! Just sayin'...
    — DJ
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:13 AM, 02/21/2012
    Im a big Madson fan and was dissapoined when Jose got closer role early in season. Still I have to admit he was very good. Even at his advanced age he was throwing in high 90s. If he gets back to where he was in 2011 Phills pen with Papelbom, Bastardo and Jose could be dominant.
    — Don w


5 comments
About Matt Gelb and Bob Brookover












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.
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