Shane's bruise, Chad's back and David's juice
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Shane's bruise, Chad's back and David's juice
Andy Martino
A few quick items to pass along as I wait to board a flight. Tweeted this stuff, but hopefully some of you out there still spend a few minutes at a time away from your screens and handhelds.
--Shane Victorino was limping around the clubhouse after last night’s game. He bruised his knee making a catch in the first inning, and said it tightened during the game. The outfield at Chase Field is a very hard surface—think your front lawn in mid-August—with patches of dirt interrupting the grass. Not a good bang one’s knee. After visiting with the trainer, Victorino said there was no fracture, but that he was “very, very sore.” He didn’t know if he could play tonight.
--Chad Durbin will throw his first bullpen session tomorrow since going on the DL with a back (lat) injury. He’s in Clearwater right now, and told me that he realized this week that the injury had affected his arm slot for several weeks. He’s hopeful that the rest and rehab will not only heal the injury, but reset his mechanics.
--I got enough emails yesterday saying, “Hey, the Phils still have the pieces to acquire Halladay” that I felt compelled to ask Ruben Amaro “Just for the record, are you done upgrading your rotation before July 31?”
He said: “We’re very pleased with where we are right now.”
Kinda sounded like Hillary Clinton answering whether she’d ever run for president again. But I think that’s more matter of his style than anything else. I’ll state for the record that I’d be absolutely, totally stunned if the Phils traded for another starter this week.
--The biggest question now is, who will go to the bullpen? In talking to the Dubinator, Cholly and Rubio yesterday, I got the sense that a decision had not quite been made, but Happ was a strong possibility. Here’s the logic behind that: of Pedro, Father Time Moyer and Happ, the latter would be the best reliever. On the other hand, Happ is the best starter of those three, too. So it’s a quandary.
But you know what? That’s a good problem for the Phillies to have.
--No roster moves have been announced yet, but will be later today. John Mayberry Jr. is the most likely candidate for a trip to Allentown, along with a Steven Register or Kyle Kendrick.
--Gee, I always wondered why David Ortiz suddenly got awesome around, oh...2003. Shocker!
Comments (30)
JimG, we all know Bruntlett can play multiple positions, but look at his career batting (.240) and fielding percentage (.963). Last year he hit .217 and this year he is hitting .125 with a FP of .960. I don’t know if he is the last man of the bench, because Charlie uses him a lot. You could put his picture next to awful player. The Nats would’ve cut this guy in Spring Training. If you look at other teams, and I put the Mets as an example, they have two utility guys playing on a regular basis because of injuries that are playing great defense and hitting pretty well: Alex Cora and Angel Pagan. And they called up a catcher from AAA (Santos) when Schneider got hurt that made another good back up (Castro) expendable. I can keep mentioning players. This is a team game and Bruntlett contributes very little to the team. Someone mentioned a few days ago the Bruntlett must have incriminating photos of somebody in the organization, which made me laugh. But I’m starting to believe it. What else could it be?— EL Zorro- Re: Bruntlett - I've said it before and I'll say it again - Miguel Cairo. He's hit safely in 8 of his last ten games, and his average is at .296. Seems like that's the same stats I quoted two weeks ago, though I think he's fading a little, his average was at .299 last time I checked, (the horror). Dobbs backs up the corner infield, Francisco backs up all 3 OF spots, Bruntlett plays X-Box at his house while looking for another job.— B in DC
- Bruntlett is there to play solid defense in the late innings and pinch-run. Any hit he gets is a bonus. Most teams can't devote a roster spot to an Eric Bruntlett, but the Phils are in a position that they can so they do. He's typical of a guy you'd find as the last player on one of Whitey Herzog's winners in the 80's.
- You still getting royalties on Munster reruns?— Living_Legend
- Andy. Why is Bruntlett still on the team? Everytime he come to bat his average drops and using him as a RH pinchhitter is a JOKE. Cairo is available an d he is more of a threat than Bruntlett or Baco. We are better off letting the pitchers bat and use Hamels as a pinch hitter.— tulsaphil
Who's the "odd man out" in the rotation? That's easy. The guy who's not even in the rotation: Pedro. Look, the Phils picked him up as a "what if," a last resort based on the fact that they had a missing link in the rotation, which has been filled by Lopez most recently. With the acquisition of Lee, the issue is moot... for now. Put Pedro on ice for a while. Let him collect a paycheck while he rehabs, and let the rotation do its thing. Then if one of the starters goes south, you have him to bring up and be what he was intended to be: a last resort.— bobby- Lando, I've called Milt Thompson "The Mule" since his playing days. Feel free to borrow that handle if you'd like.
- I prefer "Uncle Milty." Goes better with the aforementioned names.— bobby
- I agree with JimG. This constant Bruntlett thing is ridiculous. Find me a guy who can play 7 positions reasonably well given the fact that he never plays any of them regularly, and add him to the team and we can dump Bruntlett.. Until then, accept the fact that our utility jack of all trades is not much of a hitter and appreciate him for what he can do.— TheLon
- We don't need Bruntlett to play 7 positions. We need a back up middle infielder. We have 6 outfielders, counting Dobbs. And for those who say he plays solid defense check his FP…. .960 is not solid defense. Ryan Howard has a .990 FP and is considered a bad first baseman. Gregg Dobbs, another liability defensively, is a career .978, playing all over the field also. Miguel Cairo’s career FP is .983. And like Bruntlett, he plays almost everywhere. That’s solid defense. What are you guys smoking? And yes, Herzog had players similar to Bruntlett (but a little better I may add) in Mike Phillips and Mark Bradely but that team was built on speed and Whitey used a lot of double switches in the late innings. He hit and run a lot, and he also used those guys as pinch runners. Our team is power team. We don't bunt, we don't double switch a lot or pinch run, which is the only thing I can think Bruntlett brings to the table. In other words, his worthless for this team.— EL Zorro
- The Durbinator? That might be clever if Durbin were anything but a mediocre middle reliever. Instead, it merely comes across as a pretty feeble attempt at humor. Lando_M, please do not encourage him.— PhightinPhil
- Unless there is an injury to one of our starters I have to believe Happ goes back to the pen. If Myers was contracted to be a starter at the beginning of the year than if he can return to service healthy in my mind he becomes a starter "IF" he wants it. They will not put Moyer in the pen just because some people don't like his age, if he fails to produce and becomes a liability that’s different, then they would have to move him some where. Blanton has just been awesome no way he moves and the same goes for Lee and Hamels. So the way I see it "IF" Myers wants to start, and he is fit than Lopez gets bumped. IF Myers is not fit enough to pitch 7 innings than I see him in the pen. You would have to believe Brett is going to the Pen. Lopez has pitched very well and it is difficult to make a case for Padro to replace him. Remember this guy has been pitching all season long, he is in shape, the arm is stretched out, and he is younger. If we drop him to the minors and loose him because of Pedro and Pedro falls flat on his face that would be real dumb. If Happ goes to the Pen there will be 3 leftys, who goes? If Myers and Pedro go to the Pen then 2 more have to go (if I'm counting right) who will it be? I'll say it again Charlie, like Fregosi, is very loyal to the players, he will stay with those that got him where they are today, the rest go to the expanded roster and get used as needed.— Wally 24
- I think that the Phils could still land Halladay. The Blue Jays are desperate. We could offer Happ, Lopez (or Kendrick), and Taylor. I think that a trio like that would be better than any prospects that the dodgers and Red sox might offer. That would mean Pedro to the bullpen. But, who cares. We would have the best starting pitching in baseball, and we would've gotten it on the cheap. Just a thought.— johnandursula
- Well now Ken Rosenthal seems to think there is still a chance for another trade for a bat or a reliever. I couldn't hear all that was said but that is interesting.— Wally 24
- No disrespect to Buntless, but .125? C'mon.— benjyedwards
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