Photos: 2008 Phillies
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If all goes according to plan, the Phillies' manager will no longer have that daily decision to make once Wednesday rolls around.
Manuel said yesterday he expects Feliz to be back with the team for the second game of its three-game series against the Nationals. The veteran third baseman, who hasn't played in a big-league game since July 24, made his first rehab appearance yesterday, going 0-for-3 with a walk for Class A Clearwater in a 5-2 win over Dunedin in the first game of a doubleheader. He is scheduled to play in games today and tomorrow before returning to Philadelphia.
Though Feliz' absence was not have been as dramatic as the losses of Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino earlier in the season, he has played an important role both defensively and offensively this season for the Phillies. His .256 batting average and .304 on-base percentage are both slightly better than his career averages, and he has hit 12 home runs with 46 RBI while batting primarily sixth and seventh. Furthermore, his .968 fielding percentage ranks behind only St. Louis' Troy Glaus among National League third basemen.
To fill the void, Manuel has leaned primarily on Bruntlett, who is arguably the best fielder on the bench. But while Bruntlett has made just one error in 43 total chances at third this season, he has hit .130 with one RBI and two runs scored since Feliz went down.
Dobbs is hitting .275 with three home runs and nine RBI during that stretch, but has made four fewer starts thanks to Manuel's desire to put what he feels is the best defense on the field.
Dobbs, who was scratched from the lineup Thursday against the Dodgers due to a mild quad strain, made his ninth start last night.
Feliz struggled early in the season, hitting .209 in March and April, but has respectable numbers (.273 average, nine home runs, 36 RBI) since May 1.
If it is true that baseball teams are judged by the company they keep, the following should tell you all you need to know about the Phillies' offensive struggles over the past 2 months: Since scoring 20 runs in a win over St. Louis on June 13, the offense - heading into last night's action - had averaged just 4.07 runs per game. The only teams that had a lower average during that stretch are the Padres (3.98), Reds (3.93), Nationals (3.73) and Giants (3.5). The combined record of those four teams was 197-296 before yesterday's games.
Manuel, for one, doesn't have an answer. In fact, he said he'd consider all available opinions - even the White House's.
"I stay up at night thinking about how I can get our offense going and clicking again like it was," Manuel said. "I'm puzzled by it. I'm open to suggestions and I'll listen to what anybody has to say. Fans, cabdrivers, or President Bush, or anybody."
The return of Feliz should help, but the team's struggles do not revolve around one spot in the lineup.
Heading into the Phillies' series finale against the Padres, five players with at least 200 at-bats were hitting more than 10 points below their career batting average. Only Shane Victorino (.285/.276), Pat Burrell (.263/.259) and Jayson Werth (.264/.260) were hitting above their career averages.
Victorino and Chase Utley were leading the team at .285. The last time a player finished the season leading the Phillies with a lower average was 1985, when Mike Schmidt hit .277.
"We definitely look like a different team," Manuel said. "For 3 years, some of the guys we've had in our lineup, the big guys in our lineup, they've produced a lot of runs. All of a sudden its hard for us to score runs now."
On Saturday, the Phillies activated righthander Rudy Seanez (shoulder) from the disabled list and optioned infielder Mike Cervenak to Triple A Lehigh Valley. Cervenak was 1-for-7 with an RBI during his stint in the majors . . . Veteran righthander Kris Benson, attempting to return to the majors after 2007 shoulder surgery, allowed five runs - four earned - on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings for Lehigh Valley yesterday against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It was the first time in five starts he allowed more than three earned runs in an outing. *
For more Phillies coverage and opinion, read David Murphy's blog, High Cheese, at http://go.philly.com/highcheese.
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