Surprise! Howard activated from DL
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Surprise! Howard activated from DL
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
Well that was unexpected.
The Phillies have activated Ryan Howard from the 15-day disabled list Saturday -- only out of necessity as Ross Gload was placed on the DL with a right groin strain.
Howard was scheduled to play a second rehab game Saturday night, this time at triple-A Lehigh Valley, where they were expecting a sellout crowd. They will have to settle for seeing Greg Dobbs, who cleared waivers and accepted his minor-league assignment Saturday.
Howard (left ankle sprain) played one rehab game Friday for single-A Lakewood. He was 1 for 2 with a double, RBI and a walk. He played just six innings in that game.
Obviously, Gload's injury worsened in the last few days. He was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Aug. 19. He was originally injured Aug. 11 but pinch-hit on Aug. 17 and started at first base on Aug. 18.
This roster move has an interesting ramification: Rookie Domonic Brown is likely here to stay for the remainder of the season. Gload won't be eligible to return off the disabled list until Sept. 3. By then, rosters will have already expanded.
Brown offers a lefthanded bat off the bench with Gload disabled.
Ryan Howard is starting at first base and batting cleanup. But Charlie Manuel did not fill out his lineup card with the eight regulars.
Brian Schneider starts at catcher for Carlos Ruiz. Domonic Brown will give Jayson Werth a day off. Brown hasn't started a game since Aug. 11.
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the team would have liked to get Brown some regular at-bats in the minor leagues before the September stretch run but that will not happen. Brown is here to stay.
Instead, Manuel will attempt to insert Brown in the starting lineup when he can. Without an off day until Sept. 9, Brown could be used to rest the regular outfielders occasionally, like Saturday with Werth.
But mostly, Brown will have to adapt to his new role, and the Phillies are confident he can.
Here are the lineups for Strasmas:
Nationals
1. Morgan 8
2. Desmond 6
3. Dunn 3
4. Zimmerman 5
5. Bernadina 7
6. Kennedy 4
7. Rodriguez 2
8. Harris 9
9. Strasburg 1
Phillies
1. Rollins 6
2. Polanco 5
3. Utley 4
4. Howard 3
5. Victorino 8
6. Ibanez 7
7. Brown 9
8. Schneider 2
9. Kendrick 1
I hope Howard is ready and doesnt overdo it and hurt himself again— joeolive- Why wasn't this man DL'ed when he got hurt? Just another example of the mismanagement of this team by the powers to be. Now they are activating the biggest asset they possess, win it all or not, get somebody in here to manage this team and not just use his pom poms.— toe bee
- I am not sure why, but I have a very bad feeling about this. Too many guys still not 100 percent playing at the same time - Utley, Shane "I think I am a homerun hitter so I overswing all the time" Victorino, and now Howard.— knebman
- glad to see Dom Brown is getting all that professional experience on the Big League team. They should have sent him down so he could get some actual playing time— wolfburn
- toe bee obviously never played sports in his entire life. you think the doctors can actually open Gload up to see how severe his injury is? You dip$hit, sometimes injuries just don't heal correctly.— PSU DEJA BLUE
Comment removed.- Six speed....when you get a brain and stop being a racist...which means never.— ceocreates
- toe bee, you are ridiculous, and you do not deserve to watch this team play baseball. you clearly are one of those fans who would never be satisfied. and if you think you can do a better job then submit your application— deatheater
- toe bee-I agree with you that Ruben is a boob. However, Gload on the DL is RERTROACTIVE— Dr. Michael
- toe jam,oh, i mean bee, is a good example of the cruel nature of how evolution has left some behind...— phillyaztec
- SixSpeed's IQ is overated by a factor of six. He is Lester Maddox grandson.— mick314
- they didn't dl him right away becasue they and he probably thought it was not that serious and he could play thru it, otherwise they would lose him for 15 days even if he was ready before then, and since....hello, our first basemen is injured they needed gload if possible, but since ryan is ready now, they have the luxury of doing it this way.— deatheater
- "Will Howard effective in his return?" Great grammar. Don't these people proofread and edit?— phillyinsd
- I agree that Gload should have been put on the DL immediately. However, none of toe bee's other comments make any sense.— twothousandeight
- yes dr. michael ruben is a real boob, that matt stairs didn't help us win a world series huh, and then lee last year that was bad also right, and how is polanco lookin at third, oh yeah he is leading the league in hitting, and that mike sweeney, bad also right, and let's see,,,,,hmmmmm, roy halliday,,,,, get a clue.— deatheater
