Halladay Out 6-8 Weeks; Oswalt to Texas



Halladay feeling pain Phils fans have felt all season.

Roy Halladay, the Phillies ace is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks because of a right latissimus dorsi strain, the latest major setback for the 5-time NL East defending champions.

The two-time Cy Young winner will be shut down for a minimum of three weeks, then work toward rejoining the rotation, Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said, adding that there is no structural damage in Halladay's shoulder.

There is speculation that this will hasten the return of starter Vance Worley (3-2, 3.07 ERA), who went on the 15-day DL May 12th (Right elbow inflammation).  Worley threw a pain-free bullpen session Tuesday.

Halladay was put on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, two days after he was hit hard and pulled from a start in St. Louis after just two innings because of shoulder soreness.

Proefrock said tests done in Philadelphia indicated Halladay doesn't need surgery to recover and that the injury doesn't affect his rotator cuff.

"We hate to have him down, but it's nothing that requires anything other than rest," Proefrock said in N.Y. before Tuesday's game against the Mets.

“He is all about winning and playing every day and puts in everything he can for the team,” rightfielder Hunter Pence said. “You feel bad for him and happy it’s not too serious.”

Halladay is 4-5 with a 3.98 ERA in 11 starts. He has pitched at least 220 innings in each of the past six seasons, and four times led the league in innings. His 72 1/3 innings this year tied Houston's Wandy Rodriguez for the NL lead.
 
Halladay has "thrown a lot of bullets over his career," Manuel said, suggesting the 35-year-old pitcher could step back for a bit and still be dominant. The durable Halladay had not been on the DL because of shoulder trouble since 2004.

"He's got to get well," Manuel said, showing the concern and trepidation echoed among Phils fans.

The injury came with the Phillies at 26-25, last in their division, but only 4 games behind Washington.

Tuesday night, the Mets improved to 6-2 against the Phillies this year behind Jeremy 'Unlikely To Be A Major-Leaguer For Long' Hefner's first MLB win.

One senses that the Mets would feel confident with Mickey Mouse on the mound for them against the Phils this year.

Rich Dubee is lacking insights on Blanton.

In Tuesday's game, Joe Blanton got shelled again, allowing 6 runs, 9 hits, 2 walks and 2 HRs (including 1 to the pitcher) in just 5 innings of work.  Blanton is now 4-5 with a 5.05 ERA, but has a whopping 5.94 ERA in May.  Yikes! 

It might be time to grab a rake and a magnifying glass to locate a remaining gem among the ravaged farm system, as Blanton appears out of control of his pitches and grasping for consistency.  It might also be time for pitching coach Rich Dubee to say something other than, 'Uh, yeah, I got a lot of talent out there, on that there mound thingy,' which has been his consistent refrain since 2010's star-studded Phils rotation was launched.

Blanton threw only 53 of his 89 pitches Tuesday for strikes.  The baffling and frustrating part is that Blanton allowed no runs in 9 innings on May 3rd, then 1 run in 7 innings on May 14th. 

However, Tuesday, he resembled the Blanton whose last 2 outings were 4 1/3 innings pitched, apiece, allowing 7 runs in each game (May 19 & 24).

Also, Tuesday, any hope of improving the injury-plagued rotation (Lee, Worley, now Halladay) from outside the club-- i.e., Roy Oswalt ala Pedro Martinez in '09-- took a major sidestep Tuesday, when, with impeccably bad timing for the Phils, their former 4th star starter Oswalt signed with Texas.

Meanwhile, Tuesday, the Miami Marlins continued to excell.  They not only beat the Washington Nationals for the second straight day; they also improved their May record to a MLB-best 20-8. The monthly win total is the most in franchise history.

"Oh don't forsake me, oh my Howard-Utley..."

The injury-plagued Phils have managed to stay close (4 GB), despite zero games played by either All-Star hitters Ryan Howard (Achilles tendon) and Chase Utley (knee). Manuel said he hopes that they will both be back at some point this year.

"That is my expectation," assistant GM Scott Proefrock said. "I don't have a crystal ball. Our expectation is we will get them both back at some point. When we get those guys back it will be great, but in the interim we have to worry about what we are doing out here. The players who are able to play for us and contribute are the ones we need to be concerned about and try to find a way to make them better and move forward."

As for Halladay's absence, "it would hurt us," Manuel said. "How much, I really don't know."

After a visit to the doctor to examine his sore right shoulder on Tuesday, word came back that Roy Halladay is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a strained right latissimus dorsi strain.

This is the first time Halladay has landed on the disabled list since 2009.

Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock said tests indicated Halladay doesn't need surgery and it doesn't affect his rotator cuff.

To fill his spot on the 25-man roster, catcher Erik Kratz was recalled from Class-AAA Lehigh Valley, because Carlos Ruiz (.366 Ave., 4th in MLB) is suffering from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the lineup Tuesday.

Halladay has struggled the past couple of months. He has won only once since April 16, going 1-5 with a 5.29 ERA.

For the season, he is 4-5 with a 3.98 ERA and has lost velocity on his fastball, according to scouts and confirmed by Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

"This is a true test of our character to find out what kind of team we are,'' Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino said before the results were announced. "I still think we're a great team, and we'll be fine."

More on Roy Oswalt joining the Rangers


Oswalt was mediocre with Phils in '11.

Nolan Ryan was thrilled to have Texas star Roy Oswalt in the fold with baseball's best team:

"He's been throwing for quite a while now; he feels good about where he is," Rangers president Nolan Ryan said. "I think he's been away long enough that he's excited about coming to the Rangers and getting back to pitching on a regular basis."

Sources said the contract for Oswalt assumes that if he's called up by July 1, he'll make $4 million and can make another $1 million in incentives based on the number of starts he makes.

A source said Oswalt could be ready to join the Rangers' rotation by June 20, meaning he'll need at least three weeks in the minors to build up his arm strength and to get used to pitching to live hitters.

The St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers all were interested in Oswalt and made various offers, some exceeding that of the Rangers. However, Oswalt's relationship with Ryan when both were with the Astros organization, the proximity to Oswalt's home and that the Rangers are in contention helped the club land him. 
 
In 2011, Oswalt went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts for the Phillies. His 139 innings pitched were his lowest total since 2003 and his postseason ERA was 7.50.  He doesn't appear to be a difference-maker at this point in his career.

For starters, he'll need a change of luck.  In eight career starts at Rangers Ballpark, Oswalt is 2-5 with a 4.78 ERA.