Phillies' Chad Billingsley making first start in two years

ATLANTA - For three months last summer, Chad Billingsley wasn't much help in the bringing-in-the-groceries-from-the-car department. If he and his wife decided to go on vacation for a weekend, he was going to be hitting up the bellhop for help with the luggage.

Handling the TV remote was about his limit.

Billingsley underwent surgery on his right flexor tendon (elbow) just over 10 months ago. Two years ago, he had Tommy John surgery.

Tonight, he'll take the mound at Turner Field and pitch in his first major league game in more than two years.

"[First] Tommy John, then after the flexor tendon, it was, 'Man, am I ever going to pitch again? Am I ever going to get back?' " Billingsley said. "And here I am right now. I'm taking the field [tonight] and pitching on a big-league mound."

The Phillies signed the 30-year-old Billingsley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract in late January, weeks before camp opened in Clearwater, Fla.

The team's scouts had seen him throw off the mound and liked what they had seen enough to recommend the front office take a chance on the longtime Los Angeles Dodger and former first-round pick.

Billingsley was held back from the rest of the pitchers this spring, but continued to progress upward, without a setback, through March and April. He hit 93 mph on the radar gun in his second start with the Triple A Lehigh Valley IronPigs and didn't allow an earned run in two of his four starts with the team.

Last Thursday, Billingsley threw 99 pitches in his final minor league tuneup.

"It's going to be really fun," said Billingsley, whose last major league game was on April 15, 2013. "I've missed that part of the game, having my mind worry about the hitters and not worrying about [my arm]. I'm just really happy and relieved. This is all in the past now. It's been two years since I've been out there every fifth day on a regular basis. It hasn't really sunk in yet."

Billingsley should have plenty opportunity to make tonight the first of a full-fledged return to the major leagues.

Entering last night, the Phillies' starting rotation had a 5.10 ERA in 26 games, which ranked 25th in baseball. In the National League, only the Colorado Rockies (5.41 ERA) have been worse.

The Phillies lost one of their starters (Cliff Lee) to injury this spring and sent another to the minor leagues last week (David Buchanan) for poor performance. Cole Hamels remains the hottest trade target in baseball, and the odds are he'll be pitching in a different uniform at some point in the next three months.

Of course, it's also worth wondering whether Billingsley can give the Phillies five months, since he hasn't made more than two starts in a season since 2012.

"I don't know [that one]," he said. "I've been working hard for a couple years and I'm going to go into [tonight] like I did two years ago: go try to get outs and win the game. And whatever happens after that, it's out of my control. All the years of hard work are going to go into [tonight] and competing again and trying to win a baseball game."

"I'm anxious to see him and see what it looks like,'' manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I watched him in spring training . . . I'm anxious to see the progress."

Taking the mound at 7:10 p.m. will be progress alone for Billingsley, since it was just a year ago he was told he couldn't lift anything heavier than five pounds.

"Lifting a drink or something was fine," he said.

Billingsley is 81-61 with a 3.65 ERA in 219 games (190 starts) with the Dodgers from 2006-13. Among the incentives in Billingsley's one-year deal: He receives a $250,000 bonus for being added to the roster today and can earn a $750,000 bonus for reaching 120 innings this season.

Severino Gonzalez was optioned to Triple A Lehigh Valley on Sunday night after winning his first major league game.

Ryne Sandberg said the 22-year-old righthander remains an option when the Phillies need to call on a fifth starter again.

The Phillies do not need more than four starters until a week from tonight, at Citizens Bank Park against the Pirates.

"He was the first one here this time [we needed a starter]," Sandberg said. "That's what I told him when he left. He was here for a reason. Just go and be ready for the next phone call."

Gonzalez allowed two runs in five innings on Sunday against Miami. Sandberg said he wanted the righthander to work on holding baserunners while at Triple A.

Ryan Howard was out of the starting lineup in Atlanta. It was the third time Howard has been out of the lineup in five games the Philies have been matched up against lefthanded starters. Howard is hitting .176 (3-for-17) with a double and four strikeouts against lefthanders this season.

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