Contreras Continues Phillies Injury Frustration

UPDATE (11:10 a.m): The Phillies have placed RHP Jose Contreras on the 15-day DL with a strained right elbow and recalled RHP Michael Schwimer from Lehigh Valley (AAA).

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Ruben Amaro Jr. stood in the clubhouse, providing yet more details on another Phillie injury.

It's Amaro's job to dispense the injury information, and the Phillies GM has been working overtime in that department lately.

This time it was righthander Jose Contreras, who, after the fourth pitch he threw in Friday's 6-4 win over the Marlins, clutched his right arm and exited from the game.

Afterward, Amaro said that Contreras had an elbow strain and that the Phillies would try to get Contreras an MRI on Saturday.

"He felt great in the bullpen, and there was no issue and that one pitch, he felt it obviously," Amaro said.

Contreras, who was on the DL with a forearm strain from June 20 until the end of last season, began this year on the DL following right elbow surgery in September.

Lately, he has been pitching well. In fact Contreras entered the game with six straight scoreless appearances.

"We can't speculate what it is but it's likely we will put him on the DL and hopefully he will be back as soon as possible," Amaro said.

Then Amaro was asked about the Phillies absorbing another injury.

"It's unfortunate," he said, the frustration clearly evident. "We have been losing a lot of guys and we'll adjust."

The Phillies have continued to adjust, but that doesn't mean it's easy, only something that has too frequently become a necessity.