Today's Daily News cover: Carlos Ruiz and the Phillies are one win away from being winners

Source: High Cheese by David Murphy

With Worley out, Kendrick proves capable yet again for Phillies (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies' arrival in Chicago came on the heels of a three-game winning streak, the longest for the underachieving, five-time reigning National League East champs this season. But it also came shortly after the news that right-hander Vance Worley would be scratched Wednesday night in Chicago with a right elbow injury.

Phillies farmhand Thompson finally headed back to majors via trade

Source: Philly.com

CHICAGO - Rich Thompson waited eight years for the second chance and it finally arrived in the form of a phone call at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday. Lehigh Valley manager Ryne Sandberg told him his flight to Florida was at 1:45 p.m. He was going back to the majors.

Phillies Notes: Worley put on DL; no damage to elbow

Source: Philly.com by Matt Gelb

Touch 'Em All: Tantrum costs Toronto's Lawrie four games

Source: Philly.com

Toronto's Brett Lawrie was suspended for four games after he angrily threw his batting helmet Tuesday - and it bounced off umpire Bill Miller.

Philadelphia Phillies: Why It Was a Mistake to Treat Jimmy Rollins Like Jeter

Source: Bleacher Report

Following the 2010 season, Derek Jeter made headlines when his agent, Casey Close, and he gave little ground in contract negotiations, in a move perceived to be as much about his career achievements as his future contributions. Close thought Jeter should be treated "like Babe Ruth," while the Yankees thought his best years were behind him, and he should be paid accordingly.

In the end, the Yankees came to the realization that their captain meant enough to them to pay him like a player he might not be, as his contributions extend beyond the box score.  He was signed in December of that year for 51 million dollars over three years.

Jimmy Rollins hit free agency in the next offseason, following last year.  Similarly, the Phillies found themselves dealing with a player, few would argue, was past his prime, but there still seemed plenty of reason to give him the big money he craved. 

Thus, he was signed, after pretty calm negotiations, for three years and 33 million dollars It was the biggest contract, in terms of payout, of his career.

Both contracts appeared to be as much of a lifetime achievement award as anything else, but they were also expect to contribute.  A quarter of the way through the 2012 season, the Jeter contract looks exponentially better than the Rollins contract. 

Jeter is having one of the best seasons of his career, hitting .366 and slugging .523, while leading the American League in hits, with 56.  All of this came after notching his 3,000th hit last season, something the Yankees couldn't let happen in another uniform, and certainly benefited from financially.

Rollins, on the other hand, is having a historically bad season.  His slugging percentage of .293 and OBP of .278 are both atrocious, and his WAR is negative for the first time of his career. 

He isn't a good leadoff hitter, as he doesn't take pitches or get on base.  He isn't a good fielder anymore,  as his fielding percentage is the lowest of his career, and his range factor per nine is well below the league average for shortstops (3.78 to 4.27)

The worst part of this, though, is that we should have seen it coming. 

Rollins has never been the player that Jeter is on the stat sheet.  His MVP season in 2007 was great, but it appears to be an outlier in the course of his career.  He has made only three All-Star games and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting just twice. 

While Rollins has never hit .300 in a season, Jeter is a career .314 hitter. 

The Yankee captain has appeared in 12 All-Star games and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting seven times.  Of all active players, only Alex Rodriiguez, Albert Pujols, and Chipper Jones have higher career WARs than Jeter. 

Clearly, any attempt at a favorable comparison of Rollins to Jeter will be one made in vain.  But this wasn't just about numbers. They were treated so similarly when it came to contract negotiations and, eventually, terms, for different reasons than their direct contributions on the field.

Beyond the box score, Jeter and Rollins are both seen as leaders, as well as big-time performers who crave the spotlight and show up most when the lights come on. 

While the reasons for this perception of Jeter are obvious - because they're true - Rollins has gained these attributes by talking a lot and being on some pretty good teams.

In 2007, Rollins declared the Phillies the "team to beat" in an ongoing war of words with then-Mets' outfielder Carlos Beltran.  As his predictions turned to prophecy, with Rollins as the catalyst, he began to be recognized as the unofficial team spokesman, because the national media craves things like rivalries and guarantees. 

Over time, Rollins became viewed as the leader of the Phillies.  While the microphones and cameras seemed to gravitate towards him - and for good reason, because he always had something to say - the other members of the team just went bout their business, following the lead of guys like Chase Utley.

Some things a leader would never do, though, are things like taking plays off, like Rollins did in 2008, or showing up forty minutes late to a game, like he did a month later.  Both instances resulted in benchings, and really didn't scream leader. 

J-Roll also doesn't really show up any bigger in the big moments, as evidenced by his postseason batting average of .250 and his World Series slugging percentage of .267. 

Jeter, on the other hand, has hit .307 in the playoffs and slugged .449 in the World Series.  Again, he has earned the "big game" persona.

My final thought on the subject is about the legacy of these two players.

Derek Jeter is a needed piece of Yankees lore, which is impressive considering the team's proud and accomplished tradition.  He is one of the six greatest Yankees of all-time, with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Joe Dimaggio and Mariano Rivera.  To let him walk in free agency and watch him finish his career in another uniform would have been unacceptable, and was set from the start to be avoided, no matter the cost. 

Jimmy Rollins might not be on the Mount Rushmore of the Phillies from the 2000s, let alone the history of the club.  Seeing him in a different uniform would not be any more strange than seeing Pat Burrell in a Giants uniform, or Cole Hamels in Dodger blue.  Resigning the declining shortstop for so much money not only could have been avoided, but should've been viewed as hysterical. 

Over the next two-plus seasons, the Phillies will be forced to pay eight figures to a poor player with a big ego.  Rollins has joined Howard in the "Contracts that make me wish I had a time machine" club.  You could never say that about Jeter.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

KENDRICK'S START HITS THE SPOT

Source: Philly.com

CHICAGO - Minor victories in May resemble this: A pitcher who had thrown one inning in 11 days stretching to 93 pitches; a 40-year-old reliever whose recent performances portended doom tossing a scoreless inning; and a team with such great expectations excited to recoup a .500 record.

Phillies Notebook: News could be worse on Worley

Source: Philly.com

CHICAGO - Ruben Amaro Jr. need not use the phrases "flexor pronator tendon"or "ulnar collateral ligament" when describing pitcher Vance Worley's ailing right elbow. An ultrasound and MRI revealed no structural damage in the righthander's elbow. That allowed the general manager to feel relieved.

Marching to his own drummer

Source: Philly.com

It was raining outside on a recent weekday, so the Phillies pitchers played with their new toys. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Chad Qualls flew tiny remote-controlled airplanes through the clubhouse. Jonathan Papelbon sat at his locker and quietly watched. Then he opened a massive box that contained something called the AR.Drone, a flying quadricopter that retails for $299.99. Everyone stopped looking at the smaller toys.

Rolling Phillies aim to climb over .500 behind Doc

Source: MLB.com by Jon Star

On Thursday, the Phillies seek to sweep the two-game set with the Cubs and win their fifth straight to move over the even mark for the first time since Opening Day. Chicago counters with Chris Volstad, who seeks his first win since July 10.

Phillies-Cubs Preview (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Roy Halladay let out some frustration during his last start after the Philadelphia Phillies lost for the fifth consecutive time he'd taken the hill.

IronPigs' Elarton strong again on hill

Source: MLB.com

Polanco's knee bruised after many foul balls

Source: MLB.com

Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco has had a magnet for foul balls on his left knee lately. He fouled off another one in Wednesday's 9-2 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, which forced him from the game in the seventh inning. The Phillies said he has a bruised left knee.

Kendrick sets stage for Ruiz, late Phils' fireworks

Source: MLB.com by Todd Zolecki

Carlos Ruiz's good feeling Wednesday started in the visitors' bullpen that hugs the right-field line at Wrigley Field. He had just caught Kyle Kendrick's warmup, and he liked what he saw. "I could see we were going to have a fun game," he said following a 9-2 victory over the Cubs.

Phillies pull away late for rout of Cubs (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

CHICAGO -- Late-inning heroics have become habit-forming for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Phils hope sluggers see some Interleague action

Source: MLB.com by Todd Zolecki

The Phillies begin Interleague Play on Friday with a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Interleague Play continues next month with a nine-game road trip through Baltimore, Minnesota and Toronto before finishing up with a series at home against Tampa Bay.

Phillies beat Cubs 9-2 for 4th straight win (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

CHICAGO (AP) Kyle Kendrick got less than a day to prepare for his first start in a couple weeks, and he thought that was plenty of time.

Philadelphia Phillies: Some Good News on Chase Utley

Source: Philly Buster by codyswartz

For the second straight season, the Philadelphia Phillies began without five-time All-Star second baseman Chase Utley, a catalyst for the team offensively and defensively. Utley is dealing with a bout of patellar tendinitis in both knees, and he has been limited in terms of which baseball activities he can do.

Utley took ground balls for the first time today, an extremely positive step in his quest to return to the field. Utley has been hitting for quite some time but he hasn’t taken the next step to actually field grounders, as it has been causing chronic pain for his knees. Utley will begin playing in minor league rehab games soon. Last year, he played in 11 minor league games before officially joining the Phillies’ big league club on May 23.

This season, Freddy Galvis has been playing second base regularly with Utley injured. Galvis is just 22 years old, and he’s extremely efficient defensively, but he is in no way the kind of offensive player Utley is. Utley is a .290/.377/.505 hitter lifetime with 188 home runs and 110 stolen bases, and he’s the kind of five-tool player (when healthy) that has helped the Phillies capture five consecutive NL East titles. Even though he missed much of last season with an injury, Utley rebounded to hit .438/.571/.688 in 21 postseason plate appearances. He batted .259/.344/.425 during the regular season with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in 14 attempts in 454 plate appearances, appearing in 103 games.

Joyce's heady baserunning allows Rays to edge Red Sox (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Matt Joyce read it and then chanced it, and his audacious bolt for home in the sixth inning helped the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1 Wednesday night in a game that was interrupted by a scary incident.

Philadelphia Phillies Trade Minor League Outfielder Rich Thompson to Tampa Bay Rays

Source: Philly Buster by codyswartz

The Philadelphia Phillies have dealt minor league outfielder Rich Thompson to the Tampa Bay Rays in return for outfielder Kyle Hudson. Thompson was a member of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but with the Rays having nine players on the disabled list, his services were needed in the major leagues for Tampa Bay.

Thompson is a career minor leaguer if there ever was one. He has spent 13 seasons at some level of the minor leagues, where he has accumulated nearly 6,000 plate appearances. Thompson is a career .280/.355/.371 hitter in the minors with 35 home runs, 463 RBIs, and an impressive 442 stolen bases. He has spent the last decade at the Triple-A level and has seen just one at-bat in the major leagues – In 2004, the Kansas City Royals called up Thompson, and he promptly grounded into a double play in his lone MLB plate appearance.

Thompson wasn’t going anywhere in the Phillies system, and he’s simply a left-handed hitting body to sit on the Rays bench until their injuries are fixed. The player the Phillies got in return is a 25-year old left-handed hitting outfielder. Hudson has some speed but he struggled mightily in his limited major league plate appearances last season with the Baltimore Orioles, hitting .143/.143/.143 in 29 plate appearances. He did steal two bases, and he has the defensive versatility to play left, center, or right field. Hudson was hitting .291/.378/.318 at the Triple-A level this season with seven steals in 133 plate appearances.

Chooch is Going to Make the All Star Team: Phillies Pour It On Late in 9-2 Victory

Source: That Balls Outta Here by Tony DiStefano

Chooch hit a go ahead home run in the top of the eighth to give the chance to hang on for dear life to a one run lead before a bunch of random dudes got some hits off some other random dudes and made this one a laugher. … [visit site to read more]

Voodoo Bratwurst: Kendrickrolled: Phillies 9 Cubs 2

Source: The Good Phight by Joecatz

Kudos to WL for the working title, which applies win or lose to any Kendrick start:)

There's something magical about Wrigley Field. The Ivory walls; The memories of rivalries gone by; Baseball without lights... most of you are too young to remember Mike Schmidt's 4 home run game in 1976, or The 45 run game in 1979, but almost 33 years to the day, The Phillies returned to Wrigley, sans Schmidt and Kingman, as Kyle Kendrick took the hill for the injured Vance Worley. Weird things happen at Wrigley. Tonight was no exception.

My personal expectations were not too high going in, and

NL Capsules (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

ATLANTA (AP) Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer and possibly saved two runs with a diving catch and the Miami Marlins beat the Braves 8-4 on Wednesday night, adding another win to their impressive May record.

Ruiz leads Phillies past Cubs (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

CHICAGO (AP) Carlos Ruiz hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies used Hector Luna's first career grand slam to pull away for a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

Phillies 9, Cubs 2 (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

CHICAGO -- Carlos Ruiz hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning Wednesday night to break a 2-2 tie, and the Philadelphia Phillies pulled away for a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Philadelphia Phillies: Left-Handed Relief Pitcher Jake Diekman is Here to Stay

Source: Philly Buster by codyswartz

The Philadelphia Phillies called up relief pitcher Jake Diekman recently and he made his major league debut last night, pitching 1 1/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Diekman entered the eighth inning of a close game with runners on second and third base with two outs, and recorded a huge strikeout to escape the jam.

Diekman is a left-handed reliever who tore up Triple-A Lehigh Valley, posting a 1-0 record and a 0.59 ERA in 15.1 innings pitched. He recorded five saves but his most impressive statistics were his peripherals – 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings, just 1.8 walks per nine innings, a WHIP of just over 1, and no home runs allowed among the 61 batters faced.

The Phillies have Antonio Bastardo as a top lefty out of the ‘pen, but the LOOGY (lefty one-out guy) after that is up in the air. Joe Savery has been rotating between the major leagues and Triple-A, and the Phillies have recently recalled left-hander Raul Valdes from the minor leagues. Diekman may have the edge on the rest of the pitchers though in securing the job, especially if he continues to keep his strikeouts up and his walks down.

Diekman was initially a 30th round selection of the Phillies in the 2007 amateur draft, and he didn’t make much of a splash until last year when he performed well for the Double-A Reading Phillies. Diekman is 12-16 with a 3.78 in his minor league career, and his 8.3 K/9 rate is am indicator that he is going to be a good pitcher.

The Phillies received a strong contribution from Michael Stutes last season, even though he wasn’t expected to make the team out of spring training (he didn’t initially and was called up when there was an injury). Diekman could have the same impact for the Phillies.

Ty Wigginton, Hector Luna lead Phillies to 9-2 win over Chicago Cubs

Source: Philly.com by Jonathan Tannenwald

Phillies 9, Cubs 2

Source: Philly.com by Ryan Petzar

The Phillies took the first of a two-game series against the Cubs in Chicago tonight by a score of 9-2.

Ruiz opens floodgates in Phillies' grand opener

Source: MLB.com by Todd Zolecki

Carlos Ruiz drilled a tiebreaking home run to left field in the eighth inning, and the Phillies piled on in a six-run ninth that saw Hector Luna hit his first career grand slam in Wednesday's 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Rays 2, Red Sox 1 (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Matt Joyce read it and then chanced it, and his audacious bolt for home in the sixth inning helped the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1 at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night.

Phillies Not Prioritizing Roy Oswalt

Source: MLB Trade Rumors by Zach Links

The placement of Vance Worley on the disabled list got some talking about the Phillies' lack of depth and Roy Oswalt potentially returning.  However, General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. isn't looking to sign the veteran anytime soon, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

“We think he’s throwing,” Amaro Jr. said. “I guess he is. But right now what I’m worried about is our team playing better. That’s my focus right now. I feel comfortable with the starters we have. If we get to the point where we’re not comfortable with him then that might be something we explore. But I will tell you that right now I’m happy with our guys the way we are right now, unless something changes. I think we’ve got other fish to fry right now.”

The money that could be spent on the 34-year-old could also be allocated towards acquisitions via trade, but the Phillies have yet to determine whether they will be buyers or sellers.  Fellow pitcher Jake Peavy recently gave Oswalt his endorsement, telling Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he'll be ready to contribute this year.

Phils provide positive reports on Utley, Howard

Source: MLB.com

Literally minutes after general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Chase Utley could begin fielding ground balls in the next few days, Utley jogged to second base and participated in fielding practice for the first time since rejoining the team May 5 in Washington.

Phillies recall Savery, adding fourth lefty to 'pen

Source: MLB.com

The Phillies on Wednesday recalled left-hander Joe Savery to replace Vance Worley on the 25-man roster. That gives the bullpen four left-handers (Antonio Bastardo, Jake Diekman, Raul Valdes and Savery) and three right-handers (Jonathan Papelbon, Chad Qualls and Jose Contreras).

NL East Notes: Wang, Nationals, Phillies, Mets

Source: MLB Trade Rumors by Zach Links

Some intra-divisional action in the National League East tonight as the Braves and Marlins are underway in Miami.  More out of the division..

• Nationals hurler Chien-Ming Wang told reporters, including Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, that he'd be willing to move into the bullpen when he returns to the majors.  However, Kilgore writes that the Nats are unlikely to ask him to do that.  Washington currently has a surplus of starting pitching with Ross Detwiler in the fifth spot and John Lannan in Triple-A.
• Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) writes that the Phillies should make trades to replenish their thin farm system.  Acquisitions such as Cliff Lee and Hunter Pence have cost them youth but moving potential free agents Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino could change that if they decide against signing them.  Bowden also opines that the Red Sox should explore the trade market.
• Mets owner Fred Wilpon may be iffy on David Wright as a superstar, but he would like him as a son-in-law, tweets David Lennon of Newsday.  "If I had another daughter, I’d love if she married a David Wright," said Wilpon.

Philadelphia Phillies Place Pitcher Vance Worley on 15-Day Disabled List

Source: Philly Buster by codyswartz

The Philadelphia Phillies have placed pitcher Vance Worley on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. Worley was initially scheduled to start tonight against the Chicago Cubs but Kyle Kendrick took his place.

Worley’s DL stint is retroactive to May 12, and the Phillies have recalled left-handed relief pitcher Joe Savery from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Worley is 3-2 with a 3.07 ERA this season, and he has been playing just as well as he did in his impressive 2011 rookie campaign. Worley is averaging 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings, his walk rate is at 3.1 just like last year, and he has thrown quality starts in five of his seven outings.

Fortunately for the Phillies, Worley won’t miss more than two or three starts but the bad news is that Kendrick has been a major disappointment in his spot starts. He is 0-3 with a 7.32 ERA in eight appearances, three of which have been starts, and he is allowing an awful 14.2 hits per nine innings with a 4.1 walk rate per nine innings. Kendrick strikes out among the fewest total sin the National League, and he really hasn’t turned in the kind of performance the team hoped from him when they inked him to a two-year, $7.5 million contract prior to the season.

Kendrick’s start tonight will be against the Cubs, his fourth such start of the 2012 season. His last appearance came on May 9 against the New York Mets, when he let up four hits, two walks, and five earned runs in a single inning of work.

Philadelphia Phillies Sweep Houston Astros as Hunter Pence Walks Off Against Former Team

Source: Philly Buster by codyswartz

The Philadelphia Phillies have swept the Houston Astros in a two-game series that gives the Phillies their first three-game winning streak of the 2012 season. The Phillies play another two-game series, this one against the Chicago Cubs, giving the Phillies seven straight games against sub-.500 teams (San Diego Padres for three, Houston, and Chicago).

What This Means: The Phillies are still stuck in last place in the NL East but the gap is tightening. The Phillies are 18-19, just one game below .500, and they have an excellent opportunity to move back into the NL East race as they get set to play one of the league’s worst teams again. The Atlanta Braves lead the division at 23-14, with the Washington Nationals half a game back at 22-14. The New York Mets and Miami Marlins are 20-16 and 19-17, respectively.

Grading the Offense: The Phillies scored four runs and five runs and collected 10 hits and 10 hits in the two games, putting together a fine offensive series, even if it was against the Astros. Hunter Pence led the team with a three-hit and two-home run series, propelling the team to a victory in the second game when he hit a walkoff shot in the bottom of the 10th inning. Placido Polanco and John Mayberry, Jr. each enjoyed fine days at the plate as well, which was key because the two of them have struggled so far this season. Grade: B

Grading the Pitching: The Phillies have gotten six straight quality starts from their starting pitchers, with Joe Blanton and Cliff Lee doing the job in this series. Blanton has been extremely underrated this season, and he showed it in his start, by going seven innings, allowing just one run, and striking out seven against a lone walk. Lee allowed a lone run of his own through eight innings, striking out 10 and allowing only one. Relief pitchers not named Chad Qualls combined for three perfect innings with eight strikeouts, while Qualls was lit up for two runs and four hits in an inning over two games. Grade: A-

What Happens Next: The Phillies play the Cubs in another two-game series before taking on the Boston Red Sox in a three-game series this weekend.

Oswalt? Phillies Have Other Fish to Fry

Source: The Zo Zone by Todd Zolecki

Vance Worley is out. Kyle Kendrick is in.

The Phillies said Worley has inflammation, but no structural damage in his right elbow. They think it is mild, so they will keep him from throwing for a week. If he looks and feels OK at that point, he could begin his throwing program. They are hopeful he misses only a few starts.

But what happens if Worley doesn’t come back as expected? Or what happens if the Phillies lose another starter?

Who do they turn to? The Phillies don’t have much depth at all after Kendrick.

“The depth is an issue for us,” Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “I think it is for a lot of clubs, but depth is an issue, and if we’ve got to reach down and grab somebody else if somebody else goes down, we’ll have to get somebody who’s pitching as well … and make that assessment of who that guy is.”

Worley’s injury brought up an interesting name today: Roy Oswalt.

Could the Phillies bring him back, much like they brought back Pedro Martinez midseason in 2009? I speculated they could do just that during Spring Training.

“We think he’s throwing,” Ruben Amaro Jr. said of Oswalt. “I guess he is. But right now what I’m worried about is our team playing better. That’s my focus right now. I feel comfortable with the starters we have. If we get to the point where we’re not comfortable with him then that might be something we explore. But I will tell you that right now I’m happy with our guys the way we are right now, unless something changes. I think we’ve got other fish to fry right now.”

*

Jim Salisbury and I co-authored the book The Rotation, which is now available. Check it out here! Here are our upcoming book signings:

• June 2: Citizens Bank Park, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• June 16: Barnes & Noble, Wilmington, Del, 2 p.m.

Check out my Facebook page. Follow me on Twitter.

Oh, Kendrick!: Phillies at Cubs Game Thread, May 16, 2012

Source: The Good Phight by WholeCamels

With today's announcement regarding Vance Worley's elbow issues and resulting stint on the Disabled List, it's time to check out our old friend Kyle Kendrick, who'll be taking (hopefully just) a few starts while Worley mends.

Matt Garza, who could have no-hit the Phillies last month, goes for the Cubs.

Discuss the game below.

Next Game

Philadelphia Phillies
@ Chicago Cubs

Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 8:05 PM EDT
Wrigley Field

Kyle

Phillies pitcher Worley put on 15-day disabled list (Reuters)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

(Reuters) - Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Vance Worley has been placed on the 15-day disabled list because of an inflamed right elbow, the Major League Baseball team said on Wednesday.

National League notebook -- Wednesday, May 16, 2012 (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Arizona: RHP Daniel Hudson (shoulder) pitched against Oakland in an extended spring training game, his first game since going on the disabled list after an April 18 start. If Hudson recovers well, he is expected to make a rehab start for Class AAA Reno on Monday with an eye toward rejoining the D-backs the last week of May. ... CF Chris Young (shoulder) finished his three-game rehab assignment at high-A Visalia (Calif.) with a .308 average, three doubles and seven RBI. He has been out since April 17.

South Paw Bullpen & Triple-A Outfielder Swap

Source: We Should Be GM's by GM-Carson

South Paw Bullpen:
The Phillies might not lead the Major Leagues in any meaningful stat like wins, runs scored, or even stolen bases, but they do currently employ the most lefties in the bullpen.  Earlier today Vance Worley was euthanized DL'd and Joe Savery was recalled.  He joins Antonio Bastardo, Raul Valdes, and Jake Diekman, making for 4 south paws in the bullpen.  I'm not sure if Amaro is playing a practical joke on Manuel, seeing if he'll go all LaRussa and switch pitchers between each batter about 5-6 times a game, but look for this not to be an effective plan.

Triple-A Outfielder Swap:
The Phillies sent longtime Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs outfielder Rich Thompson to the Tampa Bay Rays for a Triple-A outfielder from their system named Kyle Hudson.  Thompson is 33 years old and is nothing more than organizational filler at this point in his career.  He's been with the LVP since 2008, and is the leader in most of the offensive categories for the franchise.  In 13 minor league seasons he's hit .280/.727 with 836 R, and 442 SB.  He did appear in 6 games with the Royals back in 2004, his only MLB experience. 

Hudson is 25 years old and appeared in 14 games last season with the Orioles batting only .143/.286.  In 5 minor league seasons he's hit .277/.678 with ZERO homeruns in 1744 plate appearances.  So, it's safe to say he won't be called upon to help solve the Phillies power shortage.  His only asset is his speed.  Essentially the Phils and Rays swapped the same player, one the older version the other the younger.

Gameday: Phillies (18-19) at Cubs (15-21)

Source: Phillies Nation

Philadelphia Phillies (17-19) at Chicago Cubs (15-21) Kyle Kendrick (0-3, 7.32) vs. Matt Garza (2-1, 2.56) Time: 8:05, Wrigley Field TV: CSN Weather: Sunny, 60 Media: Twitter and Facebook NEWS ALERT! – Vance Worley has no structural damage according to the beat writers with the team in Chicago. He has inflammation in a joint of [...]

Philadelphia Phillies Pattern Continues, as Vance Worley Goes on the DL: Fan's Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Vance Worley won't be making his scheduled start against the Chicago Cubs today. He was put on the 15-day disabled list today, with a retroactive date of May 12.

Rays obtain OF Rich Thompson from Phillies (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired outfielder Rich Thompson from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league outfielder Kyle Hudson.

Chase Utley fields ground balls

Source: Philly.com by Matt Gelb

MLB Roundup: Clemens trial continues, Lawrie appeals suspension (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Roger Clemens' lawyer Rusty Hardin began his first extended cross-examination of key prosecution witness Brian McNamee by explaining that he would set up a chart to list McNamee's recollections as a mistake, a case of bad memory or a lie, according to an MLB.com report.

No structural damage for Vance Worley

Source: Philly.com by Matt Gelb