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Phillies Notes: Phillies look for progress from Happ, Lidge

ATLANTA - Thursday will be a big day for the Phillies regardless of how Jamie Moyer and the big-league club perform against the Atlanta Braves.

J.A. Happ will test his sore left forearm Thursday. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)
J.A. Happ will test his sore left forearm Thursday. (Ron Cortes/Staff file photo)Read more

ATLANTA - Thursday will be a big day for the Phillies regardless of how Jamie Moyer and the big-league club perform against the Atlanta Braves.

Not only will lefthander J.A. Happ test his sore left forearm in a bullpen session, closer Brad Lidge will graduate to triple A that night by pitching for Lehigh Valley at Coca-Cola Park.

The result of Happ's throwing session is more immediately critical for the Phillies, who already are without starter Joe Blanton.

Happ spoke Tuesday for the first time since suffering the forearm injury that the Phillies described as "a very mild flexor pronator muscle strain" after the pitcher underwent an MRI examination Monday. Happ admitted to being concerned, and for good reason: He has experienced this injury before.

"It's not very good," the pitcher said. "I know what it can do, and I know that it can be a kind of debilitating-type injury."

The last time Happ experienced similar pain was at the end of the 2007 season, when he pitched primarily at triple-A Ottawa. At the end of that season, he was scheduled to pitch in the Arizona Fall League, but the assignment was scrapped because of the forearm injury.

Ruben Amaro Jr. said he couldn't remember whether Happ had undergone an MRI exam on his left forearm in 2007, but the team performed one Monday, and the Phillies' general manager repeated that the results showed "a mild strain."

"There is no structural damage," Amaro said. "He had some inflammation, and they classify that as a strain. It is viewed as a Grade 1 strain, so that's pretty mild. Again, we're trying to be as cautious as we can. Could he have pitched on his turn? Probably. Did we want to risk it? Probably not. We decided to just push him back and see how he feels after two more down days."

Amaro was asked whether Happ could start Saturday against the Diamondbacks in Arizona.

"I don't know," the GM said. "We'll see how he feels on Thursday. If he's not 100 percent after his bullpen [session] on Thursday, he'll be shut down."

Happ, who has not surrendered an earned run in two starts, walked six in his last outing against Washington on April 15 and reported the injury afterward.

"It was a little bit stiff in between my two starts, but the first time I really felt it was during the game," Happ said. "It's frustrating more than anything. But I hope it keeps progressing, and I'll throw a bullpen Thursday, and if things go well there, we can stay on schedule.

"It did get better after I got some heat and stuff on it, so I think that's a good sign. It's progressing. It just needs to continue. You definitely can do more damage, and that's why it is frustrating."

Lidge will pitch for Lehigh Valley on Thursday night against Pawtucket at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown. It will be his first start above single A since he started his rehabilitation assignment when the Phillies opened the season.

Amaro said the closer still was throwing his fastball between 88 and 90 m.p.h., but he showed improvement with his slider in his two most recent appearances for single-A Clearwater.

Lidge, slowed by off-season elbow and knee surgeries, was 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA in five appearances with Clearwater, but he pitched two scoreless innings in his last two outings, including a perfect inning Monday.

"Brad has been sharper with his slider, and that's probably the last thing to come," Amaro said. "The velocity is not quite there yet. He'll get a little adrenaline, I think, as he gets to higher levels."

Phillies Notes:

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