IS GLAD SPRING TRAINING IS FINALLY HERE
LAKELAND, Fla. -- It's March 20, so that means the Phillies' spring training roster is dwindling. This morning claimed two more victims, reliever Ehren Wassermann and infielder Andy Tracy. Both were non-roster players, so they were reassigned to minor-league camp.
Wassermann's demotion is somewhat significant. He had a very slim chance of making the team, but the fact that he's gone effectively means Rule 5 pick David Herndon has made the team. Much more on that later.
There are still a few non-regulars in camp. The list:
INF Cody Ransom
INF Wilson Valdez
C Paul Hoover
OF Dewayne Wise
OF John Mayberry Jr.
LHP Mike Zagurski
C Dane Sardinha
INF Ozzie Chavez
HALLADAY ON THE MOUND
Forget about March Madness. (OK, basketball is on the TVs here in the press box at Joker Marchant Stadium.) Roy Halladay takes the mound for his fourth start of the spring. Jose Contreras, Herndon and Chad Durbin will relive him.
Here's the lineup:
1. Jimmy Rollins 6
2. Shane Victorino 8
3. Chase Utley 4
4. Ryan Howard 3
5. Ben Francisco 9
6. John Mayberry Jr. 7
7. Cody Ransom 5
8. Carlos Ruiz 2
9. Roy Halladay 1
POLANCO PLAYING IN MINORS
Back in Clearwater, third baseman Placido Polanco is returning to action for the first time since his right knee sprain last Monday. He is playing in a minor-league game. We'll have updates later.
Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb team up for their third straight season covering the Phillies for the Inquirer and philly.com.
This is Brookover’s second stint writing about the Phillies, having joined the coverage team after seven years as an Eagles beat writer. Brookover was hired by The Inquirer in 2000 as the Phillies beat writer after spending 13 years writing about the team for two suburban newspapers. While on the Eagles beat, Brookover, who had covered just two winning Phillies teams in 15 seasons, saw the Phillies move into a cash-cow new ballpark and begin playing a brand of the game he found unrecognizable. Follow him on Twitter here.
Gelb is in his third season covering the Phillies. He was hired by The Inquirer in August 2009 after graduating from Syracuse University. He has also covered baseball at The Star-Ledger and Cape Cod Times. Born and raised in Bucks County, he attended Central Bucks High School West. Follow him on Twitter here.
To submit a question for Matt Gelb's Phillies mailbag, click here.
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