Phillies Notes: Victorino returns to Philly for diagnosis of injured hand

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - After Sunday, the Phillies coaching staff will have a midsummer break for the first time in three years. Many of the team's players will spend the four days with family or simply relax, knowing a successful first half is complete.

 Charlie Manuel is just about ready for that time to come.

"We're trying to get people well," Manuel said. "I don't know how you keep them well, but we're trying to get well."

The newest concern is  Shane Victorino,  who was diagnosed with a sprained right thumb after a Tuesday appointment with hand specialist  Randall Culp  in Philadelphia.

It's a Grade 1 sprain, the least severe, but the Phillies will make a decision on Victorino's status within the next 48 hours. He will not rejoin the team for Thursday's series finale in Florida. With an off day Thursday, the Phillies can wait until Friday to decide if he requires the disabled list without significantly disrupting the roster.

Before Wednesday's game, Manuel was cryptic about Victorino's status.

"I don't know," the manager said. "Will he miss some time? Probably. How much? I don't know. I don't think it's going to be a whole lot. But I say that sometimes and the guy goes from two weeks to six months. We'll see."

Victorino injured the thumb Sunday when he stumbled on the Rogers Centre turf and fell on the hand, jamming the thumb into the ground. The swelling had not subsided Monday and he wore a compression sleeve to help decrease the swelling.

He was administered a few tests immediately after the game Sunday that showed nothing major, assistant general manager  Scott Proefrock said. But when the swelling wasn't improving Monday night, the Phillies decided to send him home.

 John Mayberry Jr.  was added to the roster and provides insurance in center field.  Michael Martinez  started there for the second straight night.

Victorino said Monday he didn't think the injury was serious.

"He can't grip the ball," Manuel said. "And it's hard to grip the bat, of course."

Placido Polanco did not start Tuesday because the pinched nerve in his back was acting up. Polanco is 0 for his last 15 and is batting .216 since May 1. He is still searching for his first hit this month.

"He said it was hurting a little bit," Manuel said. "It comes and goes. He has a lot of aches and pains. He's not hitting well right now. He also thinks it's affecting his swing. I thought it was a good time to get him rested."

Polanco still has every intention of going to the All-Star Game next week. He was elected by the fans to start at third base for the National League and was finalizing travel plans before Tuesday's game.

"If he wants to go to the All-Star Game, that's fine with me," Manuel said. "If he can't go, that's different."

All of the injury news was not negative for the Phillies. Righthander Ryan Madson (bruised right hand) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, his first time throwing off a mound since June 18.

"He was good," Rich Dubee said.

Madson will throw another session Thursday and could pitch in some minor-league games during the break. A return when the second half begins July 15 is possible.

Brad Lidge's fastball velocity hovered at 86 to 88 m.p.h. during his first rehab outing with single-A Lakewood. It's not where the Phillies want it to be, but not an unreasonable figure in his first game since spring training in mid-March. The team did not say when Lidge would pitch next. . . . Dubee said Vance Worley will pitch the first game of the second half, July 15, against the Mets. He was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley after Monday's game.