Inside the Phillies: Two injuries could put Phils on spot

Fifteen days ago, Ruben Amaro sat in the visiting dugout at Yankee Stadium and declared that he was not about to make "any major moves" to alter the Phillies' struggling lineup.

The general manager said the Phillies' offense was good enough and just needed to get healthy.

For two weeks and 13 games, Amaro was right.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins and the offense got healthy at just about the same time. The Phillies averaged 6.2 runs over the next 13 games, winning eight, and eased concerns about the prolonged slump that knocked them out of first place in the National League East.

Amaro hinted that if a move was to be made at the trade deadline, it probably would be to improve the pitching.

Fifteen days later, there is more reason than ever to worry about the Phillies' offense and their season.

The Phillies were left holding the tickets to a losing exacta Tuesday when they had to simultaneously place second baseman Chase Utley and third baseman Placido Polanco on the disabled list. The immediate solution to their monumental problem was to bring back Greg Dobbs, who was demoted to triple-A Lehigh Valley with a .152 batting average last week. They also brought up Lehigh Valley shortstop Brian Bocock, who got a promotion despite his .179 batting average with the IronPigs.

Utley's sprained right thumb and Polanco's inflamed left elbow could force Amaro to rethink how he feels about his lineup. It's entirely possible that neither Utley nor Polanco will be back in the lineup in the near future, and if that's the case, the long-term answer cannot be Dobbs and Bocock. And it cannot be Wilson Valdez or Juan Castro, either. Yes, Valdez has played extremely well, and he hit a three-run home run Tuesday night in Cincinnati, but there is a reason he has never played in more than 51 games in a big-league season.

It's possible the Phillies will call on the IronPigs' Cody Ransom, a veteran infielder who filled in for Alex Rodriguez while the New York Yankees' star recovered from hip surgery at the start of the 2009 season. Ransom has 16 home runs and 51 RBIs despite a .238 batting average at Lehigh Valley. He also has 15 errors as a third baseman.

Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said Ransom is recovering from "a balky knee."

"We didn't want to call up a player that may have a health issue," Proefrock told reporters in Cincinnati. "We didn't feel comfortable bringing him up until that was resolved."

This sure appears to be an emergency situation for the Phillies' offense, which means Amaro must break the glass and find someone who can make a difference.

When Utley spent a month on the disabled list with a fractured hand in 2007, former Phillies GM Pat Gillick sprang into action and acquired infielder Tadahito Iguchi from the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Michael Dubee, the son of Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee. There's no way to know for sure if the Phillies would have won their first National League East title in 14 years without Iguchi, but there is also no denying that he was sensational filling in for Utley.

Iguchi, 32 at the time, wasn't a star, but he was a quality big-league player, and the Phillies need someone like that or better if Utley and Polanco are going to be sidelined for a month or longer.

Proefrock didn't rule out the possibility.

"We're always looking to get better," Proefrock said. "Now our focus may be a little different than it was. But we'll explore whatever options are available. The main thing is we need to find out exactly the length of both Polly and Chase's stay on the DL."

The Phillies' farm system has been depleted over the last two seasons in deals that brought them Joe Blanton, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay, but the team is convinced it still has enough prospects to make a significant trade for the stretch run.

"I know we have guys that other teams like," said Steve Noworyta, the Phillies' assistant director of minor-league operations. "Whether it's enough for another team, that's their decision. But I think and Ruben feels that there are players in our system that can still help out if there is something we want to do down the road."

On Tuesday, Noworyta was at Lehigh Valley, which is where the Phillies' top prospect, Domonic Brown, now resides. A major-league scout said he'd be shocked if the Phillies dealt any of their top-level prospects in an effort to get an infielder. The scout said they may be willing to part with some second-tier guys to get someone like Baltimore's Ty Wigginton, a career .270 hitter with power who will be a free agent after this season. Wigginton can play second or third base. Even if Utley and Polanco get healthy sooner than expected, Wigginton, 32, has the kind of bat that would be a real boost for the bench.

The scout said he considers double-A Reading shortstop Freddy Galvis and Lehigh Valley outfielder John Mayberry Jr. second-tier prospects. IronPigs closer Scott Mathieson and current Phillies reliever Mike Zagurski also could fit into that category.

Florida third baseman Jorge Cantu is another potential free agent who could be on the trading block, but it might take more than a second-tier prospect to get him.

Scour the rest of the infielders who are potential free agents - the list includes Baltimore's Cesar Izturis, former Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz (now in Houston), and Colorado's Melvin Mora - and you'll be unimpressed.

That just accentuates the fact that the Phillies could be in serious trouble if Utley and Polanco are out for an extended period of time.