Skip to content
Phillies
Link copied to clipboard

Phillies Notebook: Kendrick battling shoulder trouble, will miss turn tonight

Veteran Phillies righthander has struggled in second half this season. He was scheduled to have an MRI, meet with team doctor.

KYLE KENDRICK has never missed a start in his major league career. He's never been on the disabled list, not in the major leagues or in the minor leagues, either.

But the durable Kendrick has been battling shoulder soreness, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said yesterday, and he will not make his next scheduled turn in the rotation.

Kendrick had an MRI on his shoulder yesterday. Zach Miner will start in his place tonight against the Miami Marlins.

"He's had a little discomfort for a few weeks, but was still able to pitch," Sandberg said of Kendrick, who is one of two Phillies pitchers, with Cole Hamels, to have made all of his starts this season. "He was still able to do his exercises. That's why it's a precautionary move just to free his mind of anything. He actually said he was still able to pitch now."

Kendrick's 6.91 ERA is the worst in the National League since the All-Star break among regular starters in the league. Among NL pitchers with at least 40 innings since the break, only the Cardinals' Jake Westbrook, with a 7.97 ERA, has been worse; but Westbrook also has been used as a reliever.

Kendrick had an impressive 3.22 ERA after his first 13 starts this season. He allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his first 16 starts.

But he took an ugly turn when spring turned to summer: Kendrick has allowed four or more earned runs in nine of his last 14 starts. Sandberg opined that Kendrick's sinker was flat following a loss on Friday in Washington.

Yesterday, Sandberg was asked whether the shoulder woes are to blame for Kendrick's second-half slide.

"It's hard to tell; that's a possibility," Sandberg said. "It could have had something to do with it. His velocity was still good. He was still able to throw a number of pitches and still pitch with it. It wasn't a thing that was a concern the last few weeks. At this stage of the season, the organization just felt for his peace of mind to be checked out."

Kendrick would have had three starts remaining before the end of the season had he made his regular turn tonight. His return for the final week of the season is unknown; Kendrick was scheduled to meet with Phils team doctor Michael Ciccotti last night.

Kendrick is in the second year of a 2-year, $7.5 million deal. He's eligible for arbitration this winter.

Franco looks ahead

A day after receiving the Paul Owens Award as the top minor league hitter in the Phillies' minor league system in 2013, third-base prospect Maikel Franco said he expects to compete for a major league job next spring.

"I definitely expect that," Franco said through an interpreter yesterday at Citizens Bank Park. "I'm going to come in working hard to gain a spot, for sure."

Franco, who turned 21 last month, hit .320 with a .926 OPS, 31 home runs and 103 RBI in 134 games between Class A Clearwater and Double A Reading this year. He'll likely be invited to major league camp next spring.

But with Cody Asche currently at third base and Ryan Howard expected to be healthy and playing first, there isn't an obvious place for Franco.

"I don't care what position I play," said Franco, who began taking reps at first base at the end of Reading's season.

Severino Gonzalez, who turns 21 later this month, was the pitching recipient of the Paul Owens Award after going 7-5 with a 2.00 ERA in a season that saw him quickly rise from extended spring to Low A Lakewood to Clearwater and then Reading, too.

"I'm very proud of what I've done," said Gonzalez, who struck out 119 while walking only 22 in 103 2/3 innings. "I just didn't want to walk anyone. I just kept throwing strikes, and that was what I was after."

Phillers

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Cliff Lee became only the second pitcher in major league history to record 14 or more strikeouts in a game when he also drove in four or more runs. Former New York Mets righthander Dwight Gooden was the only pitcher to accomplish the feat before Monday night. Gooden struck out 15, while also collecting four RBI in a 9-4 win over the Dodgers at Shea Stadium on May 11, 1990 . . . The Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the winners of its annual Phillies awards, with Domonic Brown leading the way by winning team MVP honors. Brown, who played in his first All-Star Game this summer, was honored with the Mike Schmidt Award as the team's most valuable player. Cliff Lee won the Steve Carlton Award for most valuable pitcher, Kevin Frandsen won the Tug McGraw Award for true professionalism, and former manager Charlie Manuel won the Dallas Green Special Achievement Award. Manuel collected his 1,000th managerial win last month.

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese