Philliedelphia

Chase Utley To DL, Michael Martinez Recalled From Triple-A Lehigh Valley

When it was reported that Chase Utley had suffered some discomfort and burning pains in his right rib cage during batting practice before Tuesday's game in Miami, we all knew that his MRI would discover an injury. The symptoms of which Utley had complained about - burning sensation, tightness, and difficulty breathing - only meant one thing: an oblique injury.

And that's what the diagnosis is. Chase Utley has a mildly-strained oblique. Utley's time frame is listed as 2-4 weeks, but Ruben Amaro Jr. hopes that Utley could be back in as little as 15 days. Utley is hitting .272 with 7 HR and 25 RBI in 44 games. His contract runs out after the season and this may potentially hurt his trade value should the Phillies consider moving him.

In correspondence to Utley being put on the DL, the Phillies have called up infielder Michael Martinez. In 31 games with Triple-A Lehigh, Martinez is hitting .226 (24-for-106) with 12 RBI and 10 stolen bases. With Michael Stutes being called up in place of the struggling Phillippe Aumount, both Martinez and Stutes intend to aid the big league club as much as they can.

For now, Utley's injury isn't serious, but rushing him back could only make it worse than it already is. Oblique injuries are very easy to irritate and re-injure if not healed properly. Hopefully the Phillies can keep it rolling without Utley in the lineup.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.

Chase Utley To Have MRI In Philadelphia Tomorrow

During batting practice before yesterday's ball game, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley felt discomfort in his right ribcage. He was scratched from the lineup and will most likely sit out tonight's game as well. Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today that the injury will require an MRI, which will take place tomorrow in back in Philadelphia. 

 

“When he took a swing, he felt a little burn, a pain in his rib cage,” manager Charlie Manuel said of Utley after Tuesday's game. “Sometimes if you keep playing that can get more serious and you lose time. I’ve had those things. It’s hard to breathe, really hard to swing. We’ll see. Hopefully we don’t lose him for very long.”

From here it looks like Chase may have strained or pulled his oblique, an injury that is dibiliating for a second baseman. Don't be surprised to see Utley on the DL because of this. If Utley does land on the DL, Freddy Galvis would become the starting second baseman for the Phillies until he returns.

This injury could also potentially hurt Chase's trade value in the event that he is traded before the deadline. Utely's contract is up at the end of 2013. As of now, Utley is hitting .272 with 7 HR, two triples and 25 RBI in 44 games.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter.

Roy Halladay Placed On 15-Day DL; Joe Savery Recalled To Take Place On Roster

We all knew it was coming. Roy Halladay has landed on the 15-day DL with imflammation in his right shoulder. In response to this move, the Phillies have recalled RHP Joe Savery to take the spot on the roster.

Halladay has struggled immensely in his last two starts, allowing a total of 17 runs in just six innings. Despite pitching three strong starts prior, Halladay admitted that he'd been feeling soreness in his shoulder after his start on April 24 against Pittsburgh. 

Halladay will undergo tests later this week in Los Angeles with Dr. Lewis Yocum to look at the severity of the issues in his arm. 

Savery has allowed an earned run in 13 1/3 innings in Triple-A this season and has most likely been called up as an extra reliever until the Phillies make a decision on who will fill Halladay's rotation spot. The most likely candidate is Adam Morgan, who has gone 1-2 with a 3.89 ERA in six starts with  Triple-A Lehigh this season. 

Stay tuned for more information regarding Roy Halladay and the Phillies.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia.

Get Your Cole Hamels "Bleacher Creature" On Pre-Sale Today!

Photo: @TheHamels

So these Bleacher Creature things are pretty cool. If you have no idea what I'm talking about - have you ever seen the little plush puppets of Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, and Cliff Lee? No? Well you're missing out because they're awesome. A couple years old, the Phillies have sold millions of these "Bleacher Creatures" to fans of all ages including myself (all four of them to be exact).

Three choices over a couple years is pretty blah, you can only buy a Chase Utley "Bleacher Creature" so many times before your girlfriend thinks your obsessed (I know that feel). Anyway, the Phillies have come out with a Cole Hamels "Bleacher Creature" and you can buy it now on ColeHamels.com before it hits the market everywhere else this spring!

Cole Hamels' website is having a pre-sale on the "Bleacher Creatures" that starts today! You can get them there before you can get them anywhere else. 

The best part about buying this plush toy today is that 100% of the proceeds go to The Hamels foundation, which has been dedicated to bringing an end to extreme poverty and hardship endured by lack of educational support. It can't get any better than that. 

The doll is on sale for $20.00, it's not a bad deal. You get an awesome Cole Hamels "Bleacher Creature" and you help needy children around the globe. It's a win-win.

Get them while they're hot!

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Jonathan Papelbon: Families Are Ruined, Lives Are Ruined. For What?

This afternoon's tragedy hit American citizens hard everywhere. This afternoon, at least two bombs exploded near the finish line at the 2012 Boston Marathon. Two were killed and hundreds more are injured. In what is viewed as a terrorist attack on our country, it has affected many lives - including Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Papelbon, who played seven seasons with the Red Sox, resided in the city of Boston throughout the season. His former residence was located right above the famous Abe and Louie’s steakhouse, where one of the explosions occurred. Papelbon sat with a blank stare on his face and shared his thoughts with reporters.

“It’s sad, man,” he said. “Patriot’s Day is a big thing in Boston. Sox play at 11 o’clock. It’s all ruined. Families are ruined, lives are ruined. For what? It’s just sad."

“I’m looking at it right now and I’m like, damn, I used to live right there.”

According to Todd Zolecki, Papelbon tried to contact people he knows in Boston, but had no luck.

“It’s kind of surreal,” he said. “I don’t know man, it’s crazy. It’s hard to even think about. … Hopefully the city can rally and make things better, but it’s going to be tough.”

He's right. The city of Boston will rally and make things better. It will be tough, but as a nation united together in a moment of darkness, we can grow stronger together. 

All of us at Philliedelphia send our thoughts and prayers to those affected by today's tragedy. 

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter.

Roy Oswalt on Roy Halladay: Don't Count Him Out After Two Starts

So last night, Roy Oswalt was sitting at home bored and figured he would jump back on Twitter. We all went crazy and begged him to return to Philly, to which he replied "I would love to come back to Philly,". 

Today, some few 15 hours after Roy Halladay's terrible start against the Mets, Roy Oswalt took to Twitter to go to bat for Halladay.

 

Halladay has lost his first two starts while allowing 12 earned runs over 7 1/3 innings. He has struck out 12 and walked six batters over these two starts. It's not looking good for Halladay right now, but like Roy O said - don't count Doc out after two starts.

Erik Seybold is the Blog Master of Journalistic Activities at Philliedelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @ErikSeyboldPHI.

 

 

Roy Oswalt: I Would Love To Come Back to Philly

 

As the Phillies are currently getting their rear ends handed to them by the Mets, most of us are on Twitter. Whether it be lollygagging, tweeting about beer, or even Monday Night Raw, those of us who are on Twitter caught this tweet in our feed a little bit ago.

Roy Oswalt is apparently back on Twitter. The account, usually managed by a PR person of Roy O's, remained dormant since August. It wasn't long before we caught on and started pleading for Roy to return to Philly.

And moments later, this happened.

And we all responded like this.

So what does this all mean?

Either someone is trolling us all, or Roy Oswalt would like to come back to Philly. I would enjoy the latter. Oswalt, 35, pitched for the Rangers last season, coming aboard in June while posting a 4-3 record and a 5.80 ERA.

In a season and a half here in Philly, Oswalt went 16-11 with a 2.97 ERA (73 ER in 221 2/3 IP).

So it's all up to Ruben. Hopefully he is on Twitter too and sees this.

Reading Fightin Phils To House Two Ostriches At Stadium This Season

(Photo: Fightins.com)

There will be ostriches in the outfield this season at FirstEnergy Stadium. No...this isn't an April Fool's joke. This is really happening.

It seems like the minor league affiliates of the Phillies are getting really creative now-a-days. First the Lehigh Valley IronPigs will offer a pee-controlled video game in their restrooms and now, the Reading Fightin Phils will be the proud owners of two of the world's largest flightless birds.

That's right, FirstEnergy Stadium will be the home of two female ostriches this summer. GM Scott Hunsicker is excited about the new attraction, which represents the team's new image as well.

"Fans can now experience and learn about farming and these unique animals from Africa just by attending a Fightin Phils game," said Fightin Phils General Manager Scott Hunsicker. "We hope that families can fall in love with both farming and baseball from the allure of these magnificent ostriches."

The ostriches will be housed in America's Classic Ballpark in the raised outfield pasture that sits behind the centerfield walls. Before and after each home game at FirstEnergy Stadium, the ostriches will be on display for Fightins fans. The connection that the team has with the farming community in Berk's County means a lot to the fans and the organization.

Fans will be also be able to name the ostriches via contest on Fightins.com.

Fans must be a member of the Baseballtown Insider to submit their name choices. Once signed up for the Baseballtown Insider, you will be e-mailed a contest link to submit your name suggestions. All names should be submitted as a pair prior to by Thursday, April 4. Name finalists will be chosen and announced on Friday, April 5. Fightins fans can then vote for their favorite pair of names for the selected finalists.

Maybe next the Phillies will put live snakes in the outfield and Roy Halladay can wrestle them before every game.

You can read the full press release here.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.

 

Erik's 2013 Season Predictions: Cole Hamels Wins Cy Young & Phillies Back In Postseason

(Photo: Erik Seybold/Philliedelphia) - Cole Hamels is predicted to be the NL Cy Young Award winner after a career-year last season.

Tomorrow is Opening Day and hot dog am I excited! It's been a long offseason full of more Eagles dismay and a dramatic lockout-shortened NHL season and I'm ready for baseball. Last year was far from what we expected out of the Phillies, but hey - it happened and there's nothing we can do now to change the past. What we can do, however, is look ahead towards the 2013 campaign. With new acquisitions in Ben Revere, Michael Young, and Mike Adams - along with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley beginning the season healthy and ready to play - I'd say the Phillies can turn last year's trainwreck around and get back on the right track.

Enough of my rambling about how excited I am for this upcoming season. Here's my predictions for the 2013 season - including awards and so on.

American League

AL East winner: Toronto Blue Jays
AL Central winner: Detroit Tigers
AL West winner: Los Angeles Angels
AL Wild Card winners: Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera (DET)
AL Cy Young: Josh Johnson (TOR)
AL Rookie of the Year: Trevor Bauer (CLE)
AL Manager of the Year: Terry Francona

National League

 NL East winner: Washington Nationals
NL Central winner: Cincinnati Reds 
NL West winner: San Francisco Giants
NL Wild Card winners: Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates

NL MVP: Andrew McCutchen (PIT)
NL Cy Young: Cole Hamels (PHI)
NL Rookie of the Year: Travis D'Arnaud (NYM)

2013 World Series

World Series Matchup: Cincinnati Reds vs Detroit Tigers
World Series Winner: Cincinnati in 6 games 

Phillies Predictions

Total number of wins: 91
How many games Roy Halladay will win: 11

Who will spend the most games batting lead off? Ben Revere
Who will lead the Phillies pitchers in wins? Cole Hamels (18)
How many home runs will Ryan Howard hit this season? 34

As Frank earlier stated, giving the Phillies a healthy Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will benefit them immensely. Ben Revere is a total upgrade over Shane Victorino and Domonic Brown may have finally proved himself to be a great everyday outfielder. Michael Young is an RBI machine and with Mike Adams in the bullpen that blew 13 8th inning leads last season, I as well don't have trouble thinking the Phillies can win 11 more games than last year.

Erik Seybold is a writer for Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.

 

So...Cole Hamels Has a Mustache

(Photo: Philliedelphia/Erik Seybold)

Just earlier this week, Cole Hamels made a start against the Tigers sporting a full-fledged beard. Today, he sits in the dugout sporting a full-fledged mustache. Yes - a mustache. Hamels did say that he would be shaving off the beard after his start on Wednesday, but I wasn't expecting this.

Either Cole is paying homage to the glorious 1980's 'stache of Mike Schmidt, or he's auditioning for a porno. Whatever the case, it looks like Cole is just experimenting with his facial hair. 

If you ask me, he looks better clean shaven. What do you think of Mr. Hamels' mustache?

Erik is a writer for Philliedelphia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ErikSeyboldPHI.