Sunday, May 8, 2011
Posted: 6:13 p.m.Updated: 7:52 p.m.
By John R. Finger
CSNPhilly.com
After he sat out nine straight games, the Phillies decided to place Carlos Ruiz on the 15-day disabled list with lower back inflammation. The DL stint is retroactive to April 28.
To replace Ruiz on the 25-man roster, the Phils will activate starting pitcher Joe Blanton from the 15-day disabled list before Monday nights game in Florida. Blanton (0-1, 5.92) will face the Marlins Javier Vazquez (2-2, 6.39) in the series opener.
Meanwhile, Ruiz is expected to accompany the team to Miami and then detour off to Clearwater where he will rehab in some games at the teams training site this week. Manager Charlie Manuel says he expects Ruiz to rejoin the team before it begins the series in Atlanta next weekend.
I thought we were looking at a two or three day thing at first, Manuel said about Ruizs back injury prior to Sunday nights game against the Braves.
This season Ruiz is batting .226 with three doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs in 21 games. Last season, Ruiz led the Phillies with a .302 average and a .400 on-base percentage. He had been taking batting practice during the week and said he was beginning to feel better. However, it seems as if he wasnt feeling good enough.
MLB
In the meantime, Manuel will continue to use Brian Schneider and Dane Sardinha behind the plate until Ruiz is ready to go.
Oswalt throws
Starter Roy Oswalt also worked out in the bullpen before Sundays game and is eligible to come off the disabled list from an injured back next Friday.
Oswalt said he had been feeling stiffness in his back since his last outing on April 26 in Phoenix. After that game the pitcher left the team to tend to his family and their property following the devastating storms that tore through Mississippi and the south. While there, Oswalt says he helped remove some trees felled by the storm, but that it didnt aggravate his back.
For now, the Phillies anticipate Oswalt to return next weekend.
First of all, its good to get him some rest because he was having some problems with his back, Manuel said. He wouldnt say too much about it.
Part of Oswalts improvement will come from a return to consistent baseball activity, too.
He needs to stay within his routine. I think he knows how to do thathe knows what he needs to do, Manuel said. We have to make sure we stay on him, because we dont want him to go down for a long period.
Hitting the road
After Sunday nights game the Phillies hit the road for eight games in nine days with trips to Florida, Atlanta and St. Louis. Not only will it be one of the longest trips of the season, but also will serve as an early-season test for the first-place Phillies.
When you get to about 35 or 40 games or been around the league and youre ready to get a second turn, I say you pretty much know what everybodys got, Manuel said.
So far, the Phillies have just three of their 22 wins against teams with winning records. The Phillies wont see another sub-.500 club until they go to New York to face the Mets at the end of May.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com
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