Skip to content
Phillies
Link copied to clipboard

Rollins' prognosis improved

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins not expected to miss as much time as thought after suffering a hamstring injury.

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more

JIMMY ROLLINS will most likely not return to the lineup on the current homestand, but he should return sooner rather than later, according to manager Ryne Sandberg.

Sandberg said yesterday afternoon that tests on Rollins' left hamstring revealed a mild strain. The manager said his veteran shortstop was simply "day-to-day."

"A little bit better than it looked [Monday] night," said Sandberg, who had to replace Rollins before the fifth inning, a half inning after the 35-year-old infielder legged out his fourth triple of the season.

Although Sandberg used the vague "day-to-day" to describe Rollins' status, it's unlikely that the shortstop returns to the field in the next week, at least if you go by Rollins' original diagnosis. On Monday night, Rollins said the best-case scenario with a hamstring injury was to be sidelined for 10 days.

Coincidentally, Rollins suffered a right hamstring injury on the same date 4 years ago. As the Phillies were on the way to wrapping up their fourth consecutive National League East championship, Rollins came out of a game at Citizens Bank Park against the Marlins on Sept. 8, 2010 with a right hamstring injury.

He would miss the next 14 games, returning for the final week of the season. Rollins made just five more starts after suffering the injury that September.

The difference this year, however, is the Phillies will not be playing beyond the regular season. If Rollins were to suffer any kind of setback in the next week or two, there is almost no reason the team wouldn't shut him down for the rest of the season.

In Boston, Red Sox manager John Farrell said there was a chance former MVP Dustin Pedroia wouldn't play again this season while the second baseman deals with inflammation in his left wrist. The Red Sox, like the Phillies, are in last place in their division.

Freddy Galvis started in place of Rollins last night.

Return of The Vanimal

Vance Worley's favorite part about his first trip to Citizens Bank Park since he played for the Phillies? He gets to sleep in his own bed.

Worley married a Philadelphia-area woman, and after the two lived on the road for much of the last year, when Worley moved on from the Minnesota Twins organization to the Pirates, they finally settled on renting a place in Philadelphia until the winter. Worley and his wife are due to welcome their first child in October.

The Worley baby will be born in Philadelphia, about a month after his or her dad returns to the mound tonight. Worley will pitch opposite Jerome Williams in the third of four games between the Pirates and Phillies.

"It's just another game," Worley said in one breath, but then went on to point out that it may be a bit more enjoyable. "It's always fun pitching against guys you know, so maybe I'll get excited out there, I don't know. I'm just looking forward to it. This is where I came up. I think it'll be fun."

Worley arrived in Pittsburgh via Minnesota, where he was named the Opening Day starter in his first spring training with the Twins and designated for assignment in his next spring. Traded away in the deal that brought Ben Revere to Philly, Worley has reconnected with the success he had as a rookie in 2011 with the Phillies.

The 26-year-old Worley is 6-4 with a 3.05 ERA in 15 games this season. He's held the opponent to three runs or fewer in nine of his 14 starts.

"He has come in and done a very professional job for us," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's been a welcome addition - he gave us a big shot in the arm earlier this summer when we lost three-fifths of our starting rotation."

"It's been fun," Worley said of pitching for a Pirates team hoping to chase down a playoff spot this month. "A lot like when I was [in Philly]. We were in the playoffs, how often do you get that? So it's a similar atmosphere in this clubhouse, we show up to the park, we're here to play and here to win. It's just been a fun experience."

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese