Rollins returns as Phils prepare for series with Cardinals
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Rollins returns as Phils prepare for series with Cardinals
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
ST. LOUIS -- Jimmy Rollins was in the batting cage at Busch Stadium Thursday nearly five hours before game time.
After missing the previous three games to be with his wife Johari and newborn baby girl Camryn Drew, the Phillies' shortstop was reinstated from baseball's paternity leave list after Wednesday's win over the Washington Nationals. Catcher Erik Kratz, who had replaced Rollins on the roster, returned to triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Rollins was in a group of four taking extra hitting before the opening game of the Phillies' four-game series with the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. He was joined in the batting cage by Chase Utley, Shane Victorino and Juan Pierre.
Rollins will likely be back in the lineup against the 25-19 Cardinals, who have won three straight games and sit a half-game ahead of the Cincinnati in the National League Central.
The Cardinals, of course, erased the Phillies' World Series hopes a year ago by winning a five-game divisional series that ended with a 1-0 pitcher's duel between close friends Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay at Citizens Bank Park.
This St. Louis team looks a lot different than that one with Albert Pujols now playing for the Los Angeles Angels and Carpenter and Lance Berkman on the disabled list.
Unlike the Phillies, however, the Cardinals have managed to overcome their losses in the early going, thanks in large part to the addition of Carlos Beltran (.292, 14 home runs and 37 RBIs), the continuing emergence of World Series MVP David Freese (.265, nine home runs and 31 RBIs) and the work of starting pitchers Lance Lynn, Kyle Lohse, Jake Westbrook and Jaime Garcia.
Lynn, 7-1 with a 2.54 ERA, is an early contender for National League rookie of the year, but the Phillies will not face him this weekend. They will face Westbrook (4-3, 2.41) Thursday night, Lohse (5-1, 2.91) Friday, Garcia (3-2, 3.55) Saturday and Adam Wainwright (3-5, 4.78) Sunday.
The Phillies will counter with Joe Blanton (4-4, 3.74) Thursday, Cliff Lee (0-2, 2.66) Friday, Kyle Kendrick (0-4, 5.23) Saturday and Halladay (4-4, 3.58) Sunday.
The team didn't miss Rollins but now that he's back, there's always that hope that the old Jimmy might make a cameo before the season is over. That's the only benefit to getting him back. That's the fans' perspective. The team is glad to have the slick and swagger back and the quality of play is secondary to the show. Rollins reminds me of Obama with his all style, no substance persona.— AvoidSundanceVacations- Todays line up is:
Rollins
Polanco
Pence
Ruiz
Victorino
Wigginton
Mayberry
Galvis
Blanton
— EL Zorro - Kratz, not Schneider? Ugh. . . Jimmy can't hit any worse, can he?
— Steve Jeltz - Pretty shameful that the Cards lost Pujols/Berkman/LaRusso (and others), have a $110M payroll and are in first place. For all the people have given Ruben a pass for Utley/Howard and his $175M payroll, give me a break.— Steve Jeltz
- Fat Joe gonna get slaughtered tonight, but watch, the Phillies will give him run support..........why is that! Havent see the lineup, but ill say the Phillies win 6-4. Joe will give up a few runs in the first few innings like he always does......you can take that to the bank!!!— huntnmike3666
- i had to take vacation days for the birth of my daughter in 2010. and i am still bitter about that.— bbewsirhc
Congrats on your new munchkin JRo. Now get your head screwed on right and play some ball!— verve- Rollins will do well tonight and for the rest of the season now that he's a dad, and if Manuel uses the same lineup format as he did last night, with Pence batting third, Ruiz fourth and Victorino fifth, the Phils should win. Rollins will obviously lead off. If Pierre is in the lineup, Manuel would do better hitting him toward the end of the batting order rather than second. But we'll see, what we'll see. i wonder what kind of cigars ne wmajor league dads pass out these days.— onthebucks
- If the Phillies lose tonight, it is on the manager. After Joe gave up three runs, you knew that he didn't have it. It took Joe giving up seven runs for Cholly to act. It is hard enough for this team to score runs! Joe is a mess. It was just a matter up time for the ERA to start heading and settling around 5.00!— dross
- When you OBP is solidly below 300, over 25% of the way through the season you should be hitting 8th. Alas Charlie has raisin size balls.— lazyboy
