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Phillies' Howie Kendrick could return to disabled list with bothersome hamstring

"It hasn't gotten any better, but it hasn't gotten any worse either," Kendrick said.

Howie Kendrick has not started a game since last Wednesday.
Howie Kendrick has not started a game since last Wednesday.Read more(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

PHOENIX — Howie Kendrick, just as he had for the last three days, stepped onto the Chase Field grass Monday morning before the Phillies played to test his bothersome left hamstring. And, once again, there was no improvement. It is sore. Kendrick was absent from the team's lineup for the fifth straight game.

There is concern that he may need time on the disabled list to fully heal the injury.

"It hasn't gotten any better, but it hasn't gotten any worse, either," Kendrick said. "It's kind of at a standstill right now, so I don't really know what's going on. It just kind of  [stinks] because I can still function. I can still hit and do all the stuff, but as far as getting up to top speed, it's just restricting me a bit. I can still run and stuff, but I can't explode the way I would like to."

So the Phillies have a dilemma. They could use Kendrick as their designated hitter for the next two days in Seattle. But if they do that only to discover later that Kendrick's hamstring is still not right, they would risk a longer absence. The Phillies could hold Kendrick from the lineup, backdate Kendrick's DL stint to Monday, and wait 10 days for him. Or not.

"I'd like to think I could DH him the next couple of days," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "But I'm not 100 percent sure I'm going to do that."

There are implications beyond losing Kendrick, one of the team's best hitters, for a week. The Phillies want to trade him. A healthy Kendrick should generate some interest among contenders searching for a versatile player with a decent bat. The caveat is, of course, health.

Kendrick missed six weeks earlier this season with an abdominal injury.

Andres Blanco started at second base in Monday's game. He has shared the spot with Ty Kelly, another bench infielder.

Ramos demoted

The Phillies swapped Venezuelan bullpen arms Monday morning when they optioned Edubray Ramos to triple-A Lehigh Valley and recalled Ricardo Pinto. The message delivered to Ramos, who had suffered four losses in a nine-day span, was clear.

"Look, you're in our plans," Mackanin said he told Ramos. "You look like you've lost some confidence. Go down there, take a deep breath. Work on what you need to work on. Get your confidence back, and you'll be back up here at some point."

Pinto, 23, could stick, too. He has benefited from a transition to the bullpen. Pinto struck out eight and walked none in 11 innings over his last five outings with the IronPigs. He fired a scoreless inning in Monday's 6-1 loss to Arizona and hit 97 mph with his fastball.

Mackanin did not expect Ramos to be in the minors for long.

"He's going to be important to us," Mackanin said. "He has the stuff."

Extra bases

Mark Leiter Jr. will make a second start Wednesday in Seattle against Felix Hernandez. The plans for Jerad Eickhoff remain unclear. The righthander tested his strained back in a bullpen session Monday and reported no issues. "I think they just want to err on the side of caution," Eickhoff said. So he could throw a simulated game or extended bullpen session before returning to the rotation on July 4. … Odubel Herrera has batted .342 (13 for 38) during his 10-game hitting streak.