Phillies Notes: Phillies' Schneider strains hamstring in win

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - The sharp pain in Brian Schneider's left hamstring hurt the most. He hobbled back to third base, a sure Phillies run erased from the scoreboard, and that hurt too.

"At that point, you're not trying to get hurt," Schneider said. "You want to score . . ."

But the pain was too much. Schneider left the 5-3 victory over the Florida Marlins Wednesday night with what the team is calling a strained left hamstring. He will be reevaluated Thursday in Atlanta during the off day.

Schneider is the second injured Phillies catcher. But this recent ailment comes at a fortuitous time for the team with Carlos Ruiz nearly set to rejoin the lineup. Ruiz was 1 for 5 in an extended spring training game Wednesday and will catch Roy Oswalt at single-A Clearwater in a rehab game on Thursday.

The team expects Ruiz to return from the disabled list for Friday's series opener against the Braves. The starting catcher has not played since April 27 because of soreness in his back.

Schneider's injury does not help matters. It likely means Dane Sardinha's stay with the club will be extended.

Schneider said he expected to miss some time with the injury. How much, he is not yet sure.

"It's not good," he said. "We'll have to see how bad it is. We'll see how it is [Thursday]. They haven't told me much."

Schneider would have surely scored on a Cliff Lee single up the middle in the fifth inning. Marlins centerfielder Chris Coghlan wasn't even going to attempt a throw to home until he saw Schneider limping back to third.

Sardinha replaced Schneider and reached base in both of his plate appearances - on an error and a single. Both times he scored runs and his presence turned out to be crucial.

Schneider had doubled with one out in the fifth and said he began to feel a little stiffness in his hamstring but did not think much of it. He said he has had hamstring problems before, like many players, but nothing serious.

"I thought I was going to be all right," Schneider said. "Going to score, you don't know when it's going to happen, but it just went."

Joe Blanton says his right elbow is still cranky, but it's not a big deal. Rich Dubee says his pitcher is not 100 percent. But Blanton felt good enough to complete a light bullpen session Wednesday and the Phillies see that as progress. So, for now, Blanton is on track to start Saturday's game in Atlanta.

Is there any thought about just letting Blanton rest until he is fully healthy because it is, after all, only May?

"We'll see," Dubee said.

Blanton missed 16 days with a sore elbow, then allowed three runs in five innings against Florida on Monday. Dubee said the Phillies' athletic training staff has OK'd Blanton to pitch, but admitted the team isn't exactly sure what is causing the discomfort in Blanton's elbow.

Blanton said the positive is that the pain did not worsen from his start to the bullpen session, as it did before he went on the disabled list. So is this something he will have to deal with all season?

"Hopefully not, but I don't know," Blanton said. "Hopefully not. Maybe for a little bit. We're doing everything possible so I don't have to."

Minor-league infielder Kevin Frandsen was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Frandsen, 28, tested positive for Ritalin. He was hitting .321 in 122 at-bats for triple-A Lehigh Valley.

at mgelb@phillynews.com.

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