Lidge will be activated Friday

The Phillies will activate closer Brad Lidge from the disabled list before Friday's game against the Mets, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced Thursday.

To make space for Lidge, lefthander Antonio Bastardo will be optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Lidge was placed on the disabled list at the end of spring training as his recovery from off-season elbow and knee surgeries had stalled.

He combined to go 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA with four walks and eight strikeouts in eight rehab appearances between Lehigh Valley, double-A Reading and single-A Clearwater. After allowing five runs over his first two rehab appearances in 1 2/3 innings, Lidge pitched seven scoreless innings over his final six appearances.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said Wednesday he wasn't sure if Lidge would be his closer immediately upon his return.

"I don't know," Manuel said. "We'll have to see where we're at with that. I'll just play it by feel. I'll talk to him first and see where he's at and how he feels."

In Lidge's absence, Ryan Madson has not fared well as closer. He is four of six in save opportunities and has a 7.00 ERA in nine games. Madson blew his second save of the season Wednesday against San Francisco.

Bastardo, who was used sparingly, pitched well. In seven games, he had a 1.69 ERA with five strikeouts and four walks. But he had options left, unlike Nelson Figueroa and David Herndon, two relievers the Phillies would have had to expose if removing them from the 25-man roster.