Murky forecast for Phils' bullpen

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The outlook for the Phillies' bullpen this season is similar to the 10th day of a 10-day weather forecast.

You really don't know whether to expect sunshine or rain.

The greatest concern, of course, is the health of closer Brad Lidge and late-inning lefthander J.C. Romero, both of whom will remain in Clearwater when the Phillies begin the regular season a week from tomorrow.

"We have to get Romero and Lidge healthy and pitching," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said after yesterday's 8-4 exhibition loss to the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium. "If we don't, it's going to be tough on us. I hear people say, 'They have so much talent they don't need those guys.' What the hell are you talking about? Who in the hell are you fooling?"

Ruben Amaro Jr. has the same concern at the final turn toward the finish line of the Phillies' Grapefruit League schedule.

"It's as comfortable as you can be without having two of your guys on the back end ready," the general manager said when asked about the bullpen.

Truth is, even if Lidge and Romero were fully recovered from the off-season surgeries that have put them behind the other pitchers in camp, the bullpen still would be the biggest question mark for a team seeking its fourth consecutive National League East title and third straight pennant.

The Phillies believe that a healthy Lidge will mean a better Lidge. That's what they have to believe, and it's difficult to imagine that he could come close to duplicating either his 2009 nightmare season or the dream year that preceded it.

The best thing that can be said about Lidge and Romero is that their simultaneous trips down rehab road haven't encountered any potholes so far.

Lidge, who underwent knee and elbow surgeries, passed another test yesterday with a one-inning performance against a single-A team sent to the Carpenter Complex by the Toronto Blue Jays. He followed his 20-pitch outing - it included a hit, a run, and two strikeouts - by long-tossing 30 times at an adjacent field.

"My last outing a couple of days ago, my arm got tired very fast in the game," Lidge said. "Today, it stayed strong through the inning. That means it's going to start getting where we need to get. There is still a little ways to go."

Amaro said he was encouraged by the most recent reports on Romero and Lidge. Romero, whose 2009 season ended prematurely because of an elbow injury that required surgery, pitched Friday in his second simulated game.

"They're showing improvement, which is all positive," Amaro said.

Yes, it's encouraging, and it may keep Amaro from making any hasty bullpen acquisitions.

"If [Romero] continues to show steady improvement, especially with the way he's throwing right now, we don't have any great urgency to run and get two or three lefthanders," Amaro said. "If there is an opportunity to improve our club with a lefthander or a righthander, or any position for that matter, then we'll pursue it. But right now there is no real sense of urgency to have to break up our club to do that. Some of these things have to work themselves out as we get into the early part of the season."

And some of the relievers not named Lidge and Romero have to pitch better than they have in spring training.

Antonio Bastardo, the lone lefthander in Romero's absence, has been shaky, and he didn't get a vote of confidence from Amaro yesterday.

"Uh, Bastardo hasn't made our team yet," Amaro said when asked about the lefty.

Free-agent acquisition Jose Contreras has not pitched particularly well, either.

Chad Durbin and Rule 5 draft pick David Herndon have not allowed a run, but both are likely to open the season in middle-inning roles while Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee look for a setup man to complement early-season closer Ryan Madson. Manuel may put free-agent addition Danys Baez in that role.

"We have a lot of question marks in our bullpen," Manuel said. "But I'll say this: I know Baez and Contreras have talent. The more we send Contreras out there . . . his command should get better, and when that happens he'll start to throw some clean innings.

"Baez needs some work with his command. He hasn't pitched a lot in the last two years. Believe me, when we work him . . . the more we pitch him, the better he should get. How good they can be, we don't know."

With the Phillies' season beginning in eight days, the bullpen forecast remains cloudy with a chance of rain, especially in April.