Worley optioned
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Worley optioned
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- The message to Vance Worley delivered by Charlie Manuel and Rich Dubee was clear.
"We'll see you shortly," Worley recalled them saying. "You're a part of this team. You'll be back."
But for now, Worley is headed back to triple-A Lehigh Valley as he was optioned to the minors after Monday's 5-4 win over the Nationals.
After two impressive starts earlier this season, Worley was moved to the bullpen and served as a setup man. He went 20 days without throwing more than three innings in a game. It has showed in his last two starts, when he has pitched a total of eight innings with 18 hits, 12 runs (8 earned) and an even strikeout-to-walk ratio (4:4).
He needs work and the Phillies would rather that come in the minors.
"We want him to start pitching and get back to where he was when he was throwing the ball real good," Charlie Manuel said. "He'll be in a regular turn, get stretched out, and get his pitch count built up."
Conditioning was a hinderance in the past for Worley, and it's what held him back from being a prospect until early last season. He said he was tired in the third inning of his start May 24 against Cincinnati and then could not pitch beyond the third inning against the Mets on Sunday.
"There's things I need to work on anyway," Worley said. "It's been a work in progress. I'm fine with it. I know what I need to do. I'll be back in a start or two."
As for how the Phillies will fill Worley's spot on the roster and in the rotation, there are some unknowns. The team will announce a corresponding roster move Tuesday. Assistant general manager Scott Proefrock would not say definitively if a pitcher would be added.
The Phillies can skip Worley's spot in the rotation because of an off day Thursday. The rest of the rotation would still start on regular rest. A fifth starter would not be needed until June 8.
Manuel was asked if Kyle Kendrick could start Saturday in place of Worley.
"We don't know yet," Manuel said. "We haven't really talked about it. There's a chance. That will be decided in the next couple of days."
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Marty Bystrom blows eh? Nothing like a 1980 woRLd championship to giv eyou a bad rep.
PEACE oUT!— podunko- Ruffin, Geary or Carman— NewMick314
- brotherman1,the team looks good without joe(fatboy)blanton..— brotherman1
- Worley didn't look like the same guy these last two starts. Should be interesting to see what they do...bring Shane back early? Or got something else going on? Unusual to leave a spot open like this, even for 24 hrs.— PhillySubsMac
- Yeah, that Marty Bystrom reference sort of sucked. Dallas Green messed him up as well. The problem with Kendrick in the starting rotation is that if he gets shelled early, then there is no Kendrick to pick up long relief. And Kendrick is as likely to melt down early as any starting pitcher in the NL. He doesn't have starter stuff and his command is very inconsistent. Then his poor start blows up the bullpen.— LastWord55
- The phils are over-using Halliday. If he is going to throw 120 every game, he can use an extra day off.— bobcitydoc
- If Kendrick pitches, is it the bad Kendrick, or the Lucky Kendrick?
Watching him pitch is like a box of chocolates...— fmMD - Though shall not speak thr truth to reporters until after Cholly and Dubes have censored your responses. YOUR BANISHED TO ALLENTOWN UNTIL TRADED VANCE.— toe bee
- A healthy Brad Lidge can command a ton of prospects. We're OK, relax. Buy your World Series tickets now.— BigMike100
- "Conditioning was a hinderance in the past for Worley..." Come on Matt, how about spell checking your column? Try hindrance.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/Worley-optioned.html#ixzz1NtW2OIrE
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else - He sounded like he was making excuses and at least partially blaming things on how he was used (starter to bullpen to starter). The guy doesn't have enough credibility to be going anywhere near excuses or blame. And telling reporters he was tired ... bad move. He'll learn but he's far from a given as a starter. He has his weaknesses and he'll have to work on them.
Let's face it: After those 2 great starts he looked bad then awful in his next two starts.
I don't think they'll go with 11 pitchers to keep an extra outfielder, at least not for long. They've been using everyone in the bullpen lately so dropping a pitcher for a position player isn't going to make much sense.
Should be an interesting week with Shane coming back and the decision to fill Worley's spot.
— s - worley has a fat mouth— Old German
- If Charlie Manuel had taken Worley out sooner on Sunday, the Phillies would have won the game. All starting pitchers have a bad start, every now and then. Charlie Manuel threw Vance Worley, the team, and the Phillies fans under the bus. Worley earned the #5 spot based on his performance last season. Worley should have been the #5 starter from Day One of Spring Training. Blanton should have been traded in the off-season, when he still had trade value.— Freedom Fries
- Worley pitched 13 major league innings in 2010. That's not enough to earn anything. All indications are they tried trading Blanton in the off season and there was no interest. — s
- Thank God Marty Bystrom was ON in Sept 1980.......He was a victim of the 51 day players strike in 1981 and came back after the settlement very fat....I mean Fat Fat. Green sent him down and he never recovered his late '80 early '81 form.— Tom Kearney
