Howard's Pending Surgery, Phils' 2 All-Stars & Big Series Tonight

Brown & Lee will represent the Phils in the '13 All-Star Game.

Ryan Howard will be out 6-8 weeks for pending knee surgery.

An MRI Monday shows that he needs surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. 

"It could have been much more significant damage," General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We don't want any of our players on the DL. But we know what it is and it's treatable. Hopefully we can get him back in time to play this year."

Backup catcher Erik Kratz had surgery for a torn meniscus on June 12th and already has started a rehab assignment, so he's ahead of schedule.

"Hopefully we will have the same sort of time frame, but everyone's knee is different," Amaro said, comparing Howard to Kratz. "We can only speculate the length of how long it will take to get him to rehab. We'll shoot for the conservative one and hope he comes back faster."

"It was just really hard to move, really felt stiff," Howard said Sunday. "I knew I wouldn't be able to do it. It was more sore than it would normally be.  It's tough because I definitely want to be out there. But at the same time I want to be smart about it."

Meanwhile, the Phils will send Clifton Phifer Lee and Domonic Brown to the 2013 All-Star Game.  Neither player was voted in, but rather appointed the honor by professionals, a more impressive distinction.   Lee, an All-Star for the 4th time in 6 seasons, will be a dark horse contender for NL All-Star starter.

Mets’ phenom Matt Harvey (7-2) has a home-town edge, as the game is at Citi Field in New York.  Harvey leads the NL in S.O. (141), is 2nd in WHIP (0.91) and 3rd in ERA (2.27).  Meanwhile, Dodgers' southpaw Clayton Kershaw is an odds-on favorite, enjoying another knockout year.  Although just 10th in Wins (8-5), the 25 year-old leads MLB in ERA (1.89, the only pitcher below 2.00), is 2nd in the NL in S.O. (129), 1st in WHIP (0.90) and tied for 2nd in CG (3). 

Lee is having his own dynamite season and will compete with these pitchers and more for not only All-Star starter, but Cy Young distinction throughout the remainder of the season.  Lee is unbeaten in his last 12 starts and presently ranks 4th in the NL in Wins (10-2), 5th in S.O. (119), 9th in ERA (2.73), 5th in WHIP (0.98) and 3rd in Win% (.833).

This is both Brown's 1st full big league season and 1st all-Star selection.  Not bad.  

Brown's HR vs. Braves Sunday, another in his season of highlights.

“It’s definitely an honor,” Brown said. “I worked hard to get here. I’m just trying to keep it going.  I always tell you guys I set my goals high.  This definitely was one of them.”

Sunday, Brown received another first-time distinction, one many fans and readers of this blog have been clamoring for all year: he batted cleanup, replacing the injured Howard.

Brown responded promptly with a 2-out RBI triple in the 1st, plating Chase Utley, who had singled with 2-out.  It would prove to be the game winning RBI, although Brown added to the lead in the 5th with a 355 foot solo HR to right, already his 23rd of the year.  

After hitting an accumulative .235 with 12 home runs over 147 Major League games from '10-'12, Brown is batting .281 with 23 HR (#2 in NL) and 62 RBI (#5) this season.

Manager Charlie Manuel paid his only All-Star hitter great praise for another accomplishment: “He’s improved his defense 100%. His defense kind of surprises me more than his hitting, really. I always thought he’d be a good hitter if he made some adjustments, and he definitely did that. He dropped his bat, his hands are lower, and he’s got a good load, good balance at the plate and, of course, he’s got power. He creates good angles with his bat with his bottom hand when he hits, especially on a ball from the middle of the plate in.”

“I’m excited for Domonic,” GM Amaro said. “It’s a great honor for him to be chosen, particularly by his peers. The fan vote is great. The fans want to see the most popular players. But in Dom’s case he was chosen by the players and he deserves it. He’s one of the best offensive players in the National League right now.”

Brown has replaced Howard at cleanup.

Manuel has used 67 lineups in the 89 games played thus far in '13, which speaks volumes about the team's injuries as well as the performance unreliability of its players.  Some players, like Michael Young and Ben Revere have gone hot and cold, while others, i.e., Utley, Howard and Ruiz, have missed games due to injury.

"I'm trying to figure out our best lineup," Manuel said.

After a disappointing series in L.A., which featured a breakout 16-1 offensive romp counterbalanced with several painful missed opportunities en route to a 3-1 series loss, the Phils took 2-out-of-3 from both Pittsburgh and Atlanta, the #1 and #6 ranked teams in MLB.

"I think what you see is we can put on a good run if we can play consistent baseball," said manager Charlie Manuel, one of the few people who has no choice but to believe the Phillies have a summer surprise left in them. "I've always said that during the course of a year you can hit a streak when you can win some games like six or eight in a row. "Ours has yet to come, but if we keep grinding at it, we can definitely win. We've got some guys in our clubhouse who definitely know how to win. I think we've got some pluses going for us."
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20130708_The_fans_have_the_Phillies__number.html#XRy8C5lGVfBFXwXb.99

"I think what you see is we can put on a good run if we can play consistent baseball," said Charlie Manuel. "I've always said that during the course of a year you can hit a streak when you can win some games like 6 or 8 in a row. "Ours has yet to come, but if we keep grinding at it, we can definitely win. We've got some guys in our clubhouse who definitely know how to win. I think we've got some pluses going for us."

The absence of their longtime cleanup hitter is not one of them.

Howard will hope to return this season, as will Roy Halladay, but it is unclear if either player will be able to return or could contribute effectively even if they do.

Howard has been a polarizing player the past few seasons.  It seems to fans that he is always striking out to end innings or games when the team needs him most.  He has become the face of frustration and disappointment for a team that fans feel should be reaching more heights than abrupt postseason exits.

It will be interesting to see the prognoses after his surgery.  It will equally be interesting to see how the team performs without him.  One thing seems clear: Brown is the cleanup hitter of the present if not the future, as well.

Surprisingly, fist beats bat in baseball.

Howard already underwent surgery to repair his left Achilles tendon in October of '11.  Now the Phillies have $40,000,000 in the former MVP First Baseman and the 2-time Cy Young winning starting pitcher on the DL and potentially lost for the season.

However, with All-Stars Brown and Lee, as well as former All-Stars Utley and closer Jonathan Papelbon among others contributing productively the Phils still have a long shot of hope.  After winning the weekend series against Atlanta the Phils are 7 1/2 games out of both the Divisional and Wild Card playoff spots.

Interestingly, Papelbon, a 5-time All Star was overlooked this year.  Likely, it is due to his 4 blown saves in 8 days, because his 18 saves, 0.87 WHIP and 1.82 ERA are among the best of his career.  Notably, his 7.8 S.O./9 IP is the worst of his career.

Utley's production is among top Second Basemen in MLB.

Meanwhile, Utley's being overlooked was likely due to his missing a month (5/21-6/20) for injury, because it doesn't add up any other way.

Brandon Phillips (Reds, .265, 12 HR and 64 RBI) was voted in as NL starting Second Baseman by the fans.  However, Matt Carpenter (Cardinals, .316, 8 HR and 37 RBI) and Marco Scutaro (Giants, .310, 2 HR and 19 RBI) were named by their peers.

Does Scutaro deserve the spot over 5-time All-Star Utley?  Look what Utley has done in 1 month less than his fellow Second Baseman:

Scutaro, 37 years-old: 74 Games, .310 Ave., 2 HR, 19 RBI, .403 SLG %, .766 OPS, 35 runs, 9 errors
Utley, 34 years-old:     61 Games, .281 Ave., 11 HR, 30 RBI, .513 SLG %, .859 OPS, 36 runs, 7 errors
    
The Phillies have an important inner-Division 4-game series vs. Washington (winners of 9-of-last-13) that starts Monday night on ESPN's Monday Night Baseball.  Here's a look at the series pitching match-ups:

Monday, July 8th at 7pm

Washington  Dan Haren (4-9, 6.15 ERA)
at Phils John Lannan  (1-3, 5.15 ERA)

Note: Phils have crushed Haren this year.  Meanwhile, Lannan will have much to prove against his former team, who banished him to the minors during their wildly successful '12 campaign.

Pitching advantage: Phils.

Tuesday, July 9th at 7:05pm

Hamels: 1 million earned for every earned run allowed.

Washington  Taylor Jordan (0-1, 2.70 ERA)
at Phils  Cole Hamels  (1-3, 5.15 ERA)

Note: Jordan has pitched 10 innings, allowed 11 hits and 2 walks.  He's due for an avalanche.

Pitching advantage: Phils.

Wednesday, July 10th at 7:05pm

Washington Gio Gonzalez (6-3, 3.14 ERA)
at Phils Cliff Lee (10-2, 2.73 ERA)

Note: Lee unbeaten in last 12, due for a trip up.

Pitching advantage: Washington.

Thursday, July 11th at 7:05pm

Washington Jordan Zimmerman (12-3, 2.57 ERA)
at Phils Kyle Kendrick (7-6, 3.90 ERA)

Note: Nationals have too many pitchers named Jordan.  Still, this one's really good.  He's #1 in wins in the NL and among leaders with a 2.57 ERA (#7), 0.95 WHIP (#3) and 3 CG (#2-tie).

On the flip side, Kendrick, who suffered a concussion while batting June 30th, has allowed 10 runs on 22 hits in 11 innings since, although he claims, "I'm just peachy keen 'A' OK fine and dandy, Ma."  Then added: "What's my name?"

Pitching advantage: Washington/the guy without the concussion.

The Phils have these 4 games, then 3 more vs. the White Sox, all at home, before the All-Star break.