Kuzul

Since the start of the NLDS, many insiders, beat writers and aspiring columnists all agreed that outfielder Jayson Werth was playing his last games in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform.

But now, the rumors suggest the Phillies could make a big push for Werth and actually pursue the Philadelphia mainstay.

Earlier this week, it was rumored that the Phillies had “zero chance” in bringing back Werth, but SI.com’s Jon Heyman has ‘Tweeted’ that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told the Philadelphia Inquirer he wants an answer soon, but that a quick deal is unlikely.

The Philadelphia Phillies have a couple of other little player puzzles to solve, such as their attempt to retain reliever Jose Contreras and their interest in reliever Joaquin Benoit as a possible insurance policy, but there is also another player puzzle in the mix that is directly related to Jayson Werth.

Top prospect, Domonic Brown.

In many respects, Brown is said to be a fine replacement for Jayson Werth. He’s just as tall, just as fast, seemingly just as good of an outfielder, and almost as good as a hitter.

But he isn’t Jayson Werth.

In my personal opinion, I can’t see the Phillies parting ways with Werth so long as they can stave off his junkyard dog agent Scott Boras and come to an agreeable deal.

What I can see, however, is Domonic Brown being brought up and kept in the dugout as an insurance policy for fading outfielder Raul Ibanez.

But that’s just speculation on my part.

Think of it this way: Raul Ibanez is declining and becomes a free agent in 2011. If the Phillies had an opportunity to construct an outfield with Shane Victorino, Domonic Brown and Jayson Werth, don’t you think they would try?

I know I would if I worked for the organization.

In addition to that being my lineup, I would have Ibanez as a bench player and possible DH in inter-league play, and solid trade bait at the end of the 2011 season, with a free spot to possibly bring up John Mayberry.

The Phillies have already admitted to needing a left-handed reliever more than anything, but addressing the outfield situation is also a top priority. Werth does have a nice situation in Philadelphia, in a very hitter-friendly park that he is already acclimated to.

There isn’t a zero chance Jayson Werth could stay in Philly, but the clock is ticking and just about everyone wants to see a resolution to this ongoing saga.

Hopefully, this will prove to be a “Werthy” pursuit, and we’ll see the scruffy-looking outfielder in a Phillies uniform for years to come.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Many experts are saying that the Phillies are in trouble in the NLCS against the Giants. Personally, I disagree.

If the Flyers taught the city of Philadelphia anything, it’s not over ’til it’s over. 

Many experts are also saying that the Phillies need to make a change in Game 4, and I agree with them; the Phillies do need to make a change, just not the change most experts are saying.

The experts are saying the Phillies should start Roy Halladay on three days rest instead of Joe Blanton.

As you probably saw in the article I wrote about A.J. Burnett, starting Halladay on three days rest would be the worst thing the Phillies could do. If they start Halladay, then that means Oswalt and Hamels have to go on three days rest too. 

Even if they lose Game 4, I would rather have the big three rested than have them pitch on three days. Pitching them on three days rest means the series is likely over.

However, I do think the Phillies need to make a change to the lineup in Game 4. That change is simple: insert Ben Francisco into the lineup in left field and bench Raul Ibanez. 

I understand Ibanez makes a huge amount of money (it’s a terrible contract and the Phillies are stuck with him), but the reality is Ibanez is absolutely killing the Phillies right now. He is 0-for-15 at the plate, with strikeouts in half of his at-bats, and he has hit into a double play (so he actually has made more than 15 outs); he also dropped a fly ball in Game 1 that had he caught, the Phillies would have won. 

I know it was a tough catch, but he was under it and should have made the play; any good fielding left fielder catches that ball.

See, that’s the problem: Ibanez is in the lineup for his bat, and if the bat isn’t hitting, then he shouldn’t be in the lineup. 

Francisco is faster and better defensively, and he can not do any worse at the plate. Even if Francisco goes 0-for-4, his defense still makes him a better start than Ibanez.

I have long been a fan of Francisco and a detractor of Ibanez. I have said since day one that Ibanez’s contract was ridiculous and that Francisco could put up the same numbers as Ibanez if given the playing time.

I will make it clear that I don’t like Raul Ibanez as a ballplayer. 

I think his hitting is average and he can’t field. As a Phillies fan, I dislike him because the $13-14 million a season he is making will be the main reason the Phillies lose Jayson Werth in the offseason.

If they had not signed Ibanez to that ridiculous deal, they could platoon Dominic Brown and Francisco in left field and the two combined would make about $1 million and probably give you equal or more production at the plate and better defense than Ibanez.

The nice part of this argument is Charlie Manuel can sit Ibanez down without making it look like he has lost faith in Raul.

See, the Giants are pitching lefty Madison Bumgarner in Game 4 this evening, and Manuel often sat Ibanez in favor of Francisco when a lefty was on the mound. This way, Manuel can hide behind the fact that he is making the move simply to get a right handed bat in the lineup and that it is not because he lost faith in Ibanez.

Thus, he can sit him down without making Ibanez look bad. He has a built in excuse already provided by the left handed pitching matchup. 

Gregg Doyel of CBS Sportsline wrote a great article about how Manuel may have already phoned it in on the Phillies because Charlie said that it was getting kind of late to be making moves. To that I say, Charlie, you are paid to manage the Phillies, and any manager can see a guy who is a below average fielder and is 0-for-15 at the plate shouldn’t be in the lineup. 

Look at Bruce Bochy, who sat down Andre Torres in favor of Aaron Rowand; Torres was only 0-for-8 in two games, and the series was tied. Good managers recognize when changes need to be made and have the guts to make them.

The next 24 hours will tell us a lot about Charlie Manuel’s ability to manage this team. If he sits Ibanez down, then the Phillies might still have a chance in this series.

If Charlie sticks with Ibanez, then his stubbornness may just cost the Phillies their chance at a third straight World Series appearance.

Here’s hoping Charlie does the right thing for the team and the city. Playing Ben Francisco tonight is really a no brainer.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Regular season baseball is a funny game. Postseason baseball is knee-slapping, Will Ferrell in Anchorman game.

Of all the things that we thought about as we entered Game 1 of the NLCS, Cody Ross hitting two home runs off of Roy Halladay wasn’t one of them. Every postseason like clockwork, we see players who we would never expect to become heroes do the unthinkable.

Ross tagged Halladay for two solo HRs, and Tim Lincecum outdueled the Phillies’ ace as the Giants won 4-3 to take Game 1 of their best-of-seven NLCS.

This game featured two of the games best in Lincecum and Halladay, and the game kind of lived up to the hype. Were both pitchers great? Absolutely not. But they were both very good.

Halladay made four mistakes in his seven innings of work.

The first two came to Ross. Halladay tried to bury an inside fastball to Ross in the third, and he missed bad and Ross deposited it 417 ft into the leftfield bleachers. The hit by Ross was the first one Halladay had given up in the postseason.

Then in the fifth, Halladay made the same mistake to Ross. Again he tried to throw an inside fastball and again missed and again Ross hit it into the leftfield bleachers.

Take a look at the pitch plots on the two Ross ABs.

Ross AB in the third

Ross AB in the fifth

The turquoise plot indicates the ball that was hit in the AB and as you can see, the pitches that Ross hit out were almost in the same spot. The other mistakes Halladay made were in the sixth, and the pitch sequence to Pat Burrell was the turning point in the game.

With two outs and Buster Posey on first base, Halladay threw a perfect cutter to Burrell that home plate umpire Derryl Cousins called a ball. In all fairness to Cousins, he hadn’t called that pitch a strike all game, but that pitch was a strike.

On the very next pitch, Burrell ripped a ball to the wall for a *double. I put an asterisk next to the double because any other leftfielder besides Raul Ibanez would have caught that ball. Ibanez catches that ball and the non-strike call to Burrell doesn’t become such a big deal.

The last mistake Halladay made was to Juan Uribe, who was the next batter in the inning. Halladay left another fastball over the plate and Uribe singled up the middle to give the Giants a 4-1 lead.

On the flip side, Lincecum only made two mistakes.

The first one was to Carlos Ruiz in the third and the second one was to Jayson Werth in the sixth. Both were on fastballs out over the plate and both were hit for HRs to rightfield.

Lincecum struck out eight over seven innings of work. He only threw 41 percent first-pitch strikes, but rebounded in the count because of a wicked changeup that he threw for a strike 70 percent of the time.

Here are some other observations from Game 1…

Very impressed with Javier Lopez in this game. He went through Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the eighth with no problem what so ever. Didn’t think he had that in him.

I thought Bruce Bochy managed a great game. Pinch-running Nate Schierholtz for Burrell in the sixth was a smart move at the time, and I loved the fact that he went to Brian Wilson in the eighth to face Werth.

Jimmy Rollins has gotten old fast. The 2007 season seems like 10 years ago. He has a $8.5 million club option for 2011, which the Phillies will certainly pick up, but I doubt he will be in a Philly uniform after 2011.

I can’t wait for the WWE to have a lookalike tag-team match at WrestleMania. Edge and Werth vs. CM Punk and Wilson. This needs to be done.

Is Game 2 a must-win game for the Phillies? No, not at all. Winning Game 2 would certainly help, but the Phillies are a team that can come back from an 0-2 series deficit.

Game 2 is Sunday at 7:57 PM est and will pit Jonathan Sanchez against Roy Oswalt.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

APPRECIATING RAUL

Raul Javier Ibanez won’t draw any NL MVP votes this year, and he may not even be in the top five of the Phillies’ team MVP vote, but the Phils’ left fielder should be commended for his 2010 season.

His numbers, at first glance, are not extraordinary. In fact, they’re rather pedestrian. Okay, bad idea…on to the next story.

But wait—there’s more.

It’s easy to look up stat lines these days, and here are the numbers for Raul: .266 BA, 14 homers, 72 RBI, and 66 runs scored. With 15 games left to play, Ibanez will end up somewhere in the neighborhood of .270, 16 HR, 80 RBI, and 75 runs scored. These are numbers that you can more than live with for your No. 6 hitter. More on that later.

Doesn’t it seem like Ibanez has been here much longer than (almost) two years? In this brief amount of time, most Phillies fans have probably gone through an evolution of thought similar to this.

1. QUESTIONING RAUL

When Pat Gillick acquired Ibanez from Seattle, many wondered why we were parting ways with Pat Burrell, who became (somewhat inexplicably to me) a great hero in this town.

Baseball fans (perhaps even bigger MLB fans than this columnist) knew that Ibanez was a late bloomer who did not get a chance to be an everyday player till he hit age 30 and the Royals made him a regular. It paid off for them: In each of his two seasons in KC, he hit a solid .294. In 2002, he smashed 24 homers and knocked in 93; the following year, his power numbers dropped a little, but he scored 95 runs.

Seattle reclaimed him in 2004, and he gave them five very solid seasons. Although he toiled in a pitcher’s park, Ibanez averaged .293 with 23 HR, 98 RBI, and 86 runs.

On the other hand, late bloomer or not, he was about to turn 37, and could he keep it going for all three years on his contract? And what about that right-handed bat (and his bulldog) we let leave for Tampa?

2. LOVING RAUL

Think back to the start, even the first half, of the 2009 season. It didn’t hurt that Ibanez was arguably the Phillies’ best player—this on a team with perennial All-Stars Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins and an emerging star in Jayson Werth. He was that good, and a season approaching .320/40/120 did not look out of reach.

It did not hurt that Ibanez had that great first name, and it soon became commonplace to see Phillies fans wearing No. 29s, along with all of the 6s, 26s, and 11s (and for a brief moment later in that season, some 34s.)

That great Ra-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul chant soon filled the air at Citizens Bank Park.

It also did not hurt that Ibanez was/is the ultimate good guy, a consummate professional, and he fit right in with his defending world champion teammates. Oh yeah, and Cholly could leave him in left field in late innings and not have to fluster himself with those pesky double switches.

3. CHEATING RAUL?

An unfortunate byproduct of this PED era of baseball (not completely over) is that players face allegations when they: a) overperform (for their age), b) underperform, or c) start to suffer through injuries. All three of those red flags attached themselves to Ibanez’ numbers.

Raul could not keep up that amazing pace after the 2009 All-Star break, and there were whispers involving the “S” word.  There were sloppy reports and a lot of innuendo, and some Phils fans couldn’t deal with the uncertainty.

I don’t care to dignify those rumors, but it had some effect on how Ibanez—still new to Philly baseball—was perceived by many. Despite a second-half drop-off, Ibanez finished 2009 at .272/34/93, with 93 runs scored in only 134 games. His .899 OPS was a career high, and he had a good postseason with two homers and 13 ribbies in 15 games.

4. EATING RAUL (or his contract, anyway)

The start of this season saw Raul mired in that slump, and by the end of June (almost halfway through the campaign), Raul was hitting a low .220 with an anemic six homers and 36 RBI.

The numbers most discussed were his age (he turned 38 on June 2) and his contract (he is making over $12 million this year and is due $11.5 mil in 2011).

To say Raul has not had an easy 2010 is an understatement, and with a most promising corner outfielder named Domonic Brown tearing it up in the minors, the Ra-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuls were being replaced with Boooooooooooos, and Phils fans were wondering:

“What can Brown do for us?”

6. APPRECIATING RAUL—once again

Domonic Brown has all the makings of a five-tool player and may become our Jason Heyward (or maybe our left-handed Jayson Werth.) One has to love his promise.

But right now, how many Phils fans want to yank Ibanez from the lineup?

In 56 games since the All-Star break, he has raised his batting average from a paltry to .246 to a respectable .266. He has hit seven homers and driven in 33 in that same span to get his numbers somewhat in range with his career averages.

More importantly, in a season where we have struggled to keep our mega-stars (Howard, Utley, and especially Rollins) on the field, and where the injury bug has also hit Placido Polanco, Shane Victorino, and Carlos Ruiz, Ibanez has played in 141 of our 147 games, second to Werth on the team.

Most importantly, he guts it out through injuries and is solid fundamentally. He continues to be the ultimate good guy, a consummate professional, and still (at age 38) a hitter that can occasionally ride one out of the park and drive in some key runs.

So let’s hear it one more time for Mr. Ibanez:

RA-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuullllllllll.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Yes, I know it is way too early for a 2011 MLB season preview.

The Phillies are making a colossal playoff push and are looking to become the first National League team since the St. Louis Cardinals of the early 1940s to reach the World Series three consecutive years.

With this in mind, I still couldn’t wait. So, here, sports fans, is your extremely premature Philadelphia Phillies preview for the 2011 season. 

The Starting Rotation

1. Roy Halladay – The ace. The foremost no-brainer in this Phillies rotation. Halladay is a viable candidate for the 2010 Cy Young Award, sporting a solid 16-9 record and a cozy 2.22 ERA through August 29. Luckily for the Phils, Halladay is inked through the 2013 season.

Bad news, however, as the Phils’ faithful will have to watch pitching phenom Kyle Drabek grow into a star for the Torono Blue Jays and stand by as the New York Yankees try to sign Cliff Lee for a ridiculous contract this offseason. But hey, we got our ace, and that’s a positive.  

2. Roy Oswalt – This season’s key trade deadline pickup, the other Roy has been pretty darn good in the red pinstripes, throwing out a 3-1 record with a dominant 2.18 earned run average and a stable 0.97 WHIP.

3. Cole Hamels – Same old story for the golden lefty. Extremely poor run support and bad luck have sparked criticism and doubt over Hamels’ performance. However, Hamels has possibly been the Phillies’ most consistent starter over this season. Although his record is 8-10, he has a 3.31 ERA and has allowed two runs or less in four of his last five starts. This is one player that is drastically underrated and is a key reason for the success of the Broad Street Bombers.

4. Joe Blanton – Possibly the one error in Ruben Amaro’s tenure as GM has been the contract extension for Blanton. Don’t get me wrong, Blanton was an essential pickup for the magical run of 2008. However, $10.5 million per year is a lot for an end of the rotation guy, even if he has been mediocre recently.

5. Kyle Kendrick – Oh, how I wish to have typed Jaime Moyer’s name into this rotation. Sorry, it just doesn’t work. Kendrick is up for arbitration come 2011 and will almost definitely get it, meaning that Moyer’s tenure in Philly has come to a close. We’ll miss you, bud.

That’s enough Moyer love. Kendrick has been the ideal fifth starter this year, flashing signs of his potential while staying somewhat consistent over the 2010 season. He should flourish next year in low-pressure situations as an above average number five starter.

Starting Lineup

First Base – Ryan Howard

The Big Piece. Howard is the key component to this potent offense. He provides power, stability, and swagger. And, lately, Howard has shown his angry side, going afternoon a third base umpire this past week. Next year should be classic Howard with colossal homers, clunky triples, and an innumerable amount of backward and frontward K’s.

The scariest thought about Howard’s future, is the fact that his contact is up after next season. Time to start the negotiations Amaro.

Second Base – Chase Utley

Utley, you are the man! Utley has been the picture of consistency and cool while manning second base for the Phillies. Signed through the 2013 season, Utley figures to keep producing for several years to come and provide stellar defense.

Shortstop – Jimmy Rollins

J-Roll has been the spark plug for many seasons for the Fightins, and that streak shouldn’t stop anytime soon. Rolling is hitting just .248 this season, but he has fought through several injuries, playing in just 69 games. Rollins is inked through just the 2011 campaign, so hopefully this winter will see the extension of him so that it doesn’t distract from his comeback campaign of 2011.

Third Base – Placido Polanco

Unsung heroes. Every team has it’s fair share. Philadelphia’s 2010 unsung hero is Polanco. He is the only Philadelpha starter who is batting over .300. In addition, third base has been the place where screaming grounders go to die at Citizens Bank Park.

Honestly, it will be an absolute travesty if Polanco does not win a Gold Glove Award for his work in 2010. Signed through 2013, Polanco should earn his spot in the hearts of Philly fans over the next few years.

Left Field – Raul Ibanez

At the 2010 All-Star break, analysts all over the Philadelphia sports scene were calling for Ibanez’s head, declaring him done. Ibanez has absolutely proved them wrong. He has gone on a tear these past few weeks, raising his home batting average to .280 over this last homestand. 

Sure, you would guess that Ibanez’s production will decrease rapidly in the coming season. However, I will not quit on my man and I think that he will recharge this offseason and build on his second half success.

Center Field – Shane Victorino

The Flyin’ Hawaiian has been suprisingly below what we expected coming into this summer, batting just .251 with 15 dingers through August 29. We can only hope that Victorino comes back next season and produces like we know he can. He will only be 30 going into next season, so you have to think that he can have a solid rebound campaign in 2011.

Right Field – Domonic Brown

With each game that goes by, it seems more and more probable that the Phils and Jayson Werth are doomed to part this winter. It shouldn’t be a huge problem, however, as Downtown Domonic Brown seems poised and ready to jump in and take over. Hitting just .224 this year, there seems to be vast room for improvement, which is a good sign for a player with so much natural talent. Move over Werth, this kid will be ready come 2011.

Catcher – Carlos Ruiz

Choooooooooch! Ruiz falls into that Polanco, unsung hero mold for the Phils. Ruiz has been Philadelphia’s most clutch hitter in 2010. Chooch is signed through 2013, but I suspect that catching duties may fall into a platoon between Chooch and Brian Schneider or another player in the coming seasons, as Ruiz is bound to break down one of these days. 

The Pen

A scary concept: Brad Lidge is signed for another two seasons and will most likely fall right back into the closer’s role in 2011. I know, it’s frightening. However, there is hope and a promising future for the bullpen. J.C. Romero and Ryan Madson will each reprise their roles as consistent setup men next summer, as both are inked through 2011. Meanwhile, closer in waiting Drew Carpenter will hope to make a name for himself as a middle reliever. Things at the back end of the bullpen may seem bleak now, but there is plenty of reason for hope. 

My Predictions

Honestly, I think it should be another very solid year for the Philadelphia in 2011. The rotation and batting lineup both look incredibly impressive. Plus, with the Mets, Marlins, and Nats looking pretty mediocre going into the offseason, it will most likely be another two-team race between the Phils and Braves. With that said, Atlanta is clearly the young, up-and-coming squad of the NL East, and it should be a great, season-long bout.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

       There are two schools of thought when it comes to hiring a General Manager for a Major League Baseball team, either you hire a business man or a baseball man. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have gone the business man rout with Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein and have been successful. On the other side of the coin there are the Chicago White Sox and General Manager Kenny Williams, a former MLB player who worked his way up from scout to the top of the front office, who has done a solid job in Chicago for the past ten years.

       What we have here in Philadelphia is an incredible combination of both. Ruben Amaro Jr is a third generation baseball man, his grandfather Santo was a feared hitter in the Maexican League for 17 years, and his father Ruben senior was a gold glove shortstop for the Phillies as well as first base coach on the 1980 World Championship squad.

       Amaro Jr has been around baseball all his life, he was a bat boy for the Phillies from 1980-1983, and played eight years in the Majors. This alone is impressive but add into the mix that Amaro went to school at Penn Charter then on to Stanford University where he graduated with a B.S. in Human Biology. Along the way he was a star on the 1987 NCAA College World Series Championship team.

       Ed Wade brought Amaro aboard in 1998 as assistant GM, he remained in this position through the three seasons that Pat Gillick led the team. As an assistant from ’98 to 2008 he was involved in a nice turnaround that had a low light of a 65 win season in 2005 and finished with a World Series win in 2008 under third year General Manager Gillick who retired after the season handing the keys over to Amaro.

       This combination of a life long baseball man with a quality education is evident time after time in the moves that come out of this front office. He goes out and gets Raul Ibanez and Chan Ho Park, and resigns Jamie Moyer.  Down the stretch in 2009 Amaro brings in Matt Stairs who was a big contributor in the post season, by giving up Fabio Castro to the Blue Jays. The day before the trade deadline Amaro pulls the trigger and brings in Cliff Lee by giving Cleveland three marginal players and and JC Knapp, Lee finished 5-0 with a 0.68 era. With a National League Pennant in his first year in the big chair Amaro was off to a good start.

       The 2010 season has had some ups and downs in regards to personnel moves but seems to be fairly steady right now. Trading the rights of Cliff Lee didn’t sit well with most people, and it looks worse now that the top prospect that the Phillies got in return, Tyson Gillies (who is legally deaf) appears to have some legal problems in front of him. That move was countered by signing Roy Halliday with Kyle Drabek being the big name given up in the trade. Placido Polanco a gold glove second baseman with the Tigers comes back to Philadelphia, a place that he said he never wanted to leave, to play third base. Polanco was a huge sign, he is an excellent fielder and was the second  best clutch hitter on the Tigers behind Miguel Cabrera. Add Roy Oswalt, who the Phillies acquired from the Astros and I would say that the positives outweigh the negatives in the trade category.

       The Phillies have been plagued with injuries this season and have done an incredible job fighting though it, Amaro’s decision to bring Domonic Brown to the majors was proboly not going to happen until the September call ups, but it appears to have been the right move. The Detroit Tigers have been in the same situation this season as far as injuries go and haven’t reacted the same as the Phillies and are in 3rd place 10 games back. Good teams react differently than great teams and the Phillies are a great team right now.

       Amaro made an excellent move this week bringing aboard Hall of Fame pitcher Bruce Sutter as a minor league pitching consultant. While this move might fly under the radar of most people, it shows a huge commitment to the future of the ball club. Here you have a man with a 2.83 career era working with young talent. It’s moves like this that separate the better teams in the league from the rest of the pack. This was a move made by the ballplayer Amaro. The contracts and numbers are where the Stanford grad Amaro shines.

       The Phillies are in a unique position right now, they are being led by a man that sees both sides of the fence. The future should be very bright with Ruben Amaro Jr, with his vast knowledge of baseball and his knowledge in general, leading the team.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia, PA- Just when you thought it could not get worse for the Philadelphia Phillies the injury struggles increased and, pending results, could send another Phillie to the overloaded disabled list.

What was thought as a minor sprain for Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard could turn into something more severe as Howard was sent back to Philadelphia yesterday to meet with team doctors.

Howard suffered the sprain in the first inning of the Phillies game three extra-innings-win against the Washington Nationals. Howard was taken for an MRI and X-Ray immediately and neither test showed a fracture.

After the teams off-day Monday the decision was made to send Howard back to Philadelphia to meet with team physician Michael Ciccotti to address the situation.

When speaking with the media Howard seemed optimistic and hopeful the sprain was not severe.

“I guess once the swelling goes down, we’ll see what happens”

For the meantime the Phillies will rely on bench players Cody Ransom and Ross Gload to platoon at first base.

Missing out on Howard’s bat could be tragic for the Phillies as he is leading the NL in RBI with 81 and his 119 hits is a team best.

No word if Howard will be sent to the disabled list but if that happens it will leave outfielder Jayson Werth as the only Phillies starter not to hit the DL.

The Phillies are currently three games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and three and a half games back in the wild card.

Ibanez optimistic about return.

After missing Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals outfielder Raul Ibanez seem optimistic he will be back in the lineup against the Florida Marlins. Ibanez was held out of Sundays game due to a sore left wrist.

Complete Phillies Coverage on Eternal Mulligan or Twitter.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The time has come again as yet another phenom is set to introduce himself to the baseball world. Outfield super-prospect Domonic Brown will finally get his long awaited opportunity to shine in the City of Brotherly Love.

His promotion to the big club does not yet signal a changing of the guard, but rather a move necessitated by injury. Starting center fielder Shane Victorino landed on the 15-day DL earlier today with an abdominal strain.

Despite getting the call, the injury to Victorino could easily be viewed as detrimental for Brown. The trading of outfielder Jayson Werth is now a near impossibility, which in turn means Brown’s major league stint is likely to be short-lived. When Victorino returns, the same trio of experienced outfielders will be blocking his path to regular at bats. Raul Ibanez has picked up the slack in July hitting .325 with 12 RBI, and despite hitting only .241 since June 1st, Shane Victorino and bench will never be synonymous.

But let’s not overlook one all-important possibility: Domonic Brown blowing away the Phillies brass with his exceptional talent and dynamic play on the field. If he hits .400 with a couple of bombs, steals some bags and re-energizes the club, sending him back to Lehigh Valley sure won’t be easy. GM Ruben Amaro would be put in an unenviable spot with that decision on his hands, and it’s not implausible to think he’ll have to face that decision head on.  

Brown, the number one rated prospect according to Baseball America, was originally the 607th selection in the 20th round of the 2006 amateur draft. The Phillies took a flyer on Brown’s raw potential, and are about to be rewarded beyond their wildest dreams back in ’06. You reap what you sow, and the Phils earned it with great scouting work.  

The definition of a tools player, Brown can impact the game and fantasy lineups, in a multitude of ways. He can hit for average, batting at least .291 in his last four minor league seasons. He’s taken it up a notch in AAA, batting .346 in 28 games. He gets on base, having drawing 37 BB in 2010 for a .391 OBP. He can run, stealing 22 bases in ’08, 23 in ’09 and 17 thus far in ’10. At 6’5″, he continues to grow into his frame and develop his power stroke. Prior to this year his previous season high for HR was 14. Through 93 games in ’10, he’s hit 20. His previous season high for RBI was 64. He’s already knocked in 68 runs in ‘10.

Dynasty league owners know that the “Total Package” has long since been stashed away. But Brown is still available in a decent number of straight keeper leagues, and owned in less than 50 percent of re-draft leagues. While his major league timetable in 2010 is a relative unknown, the risk is certainly worth the reward. Worst case scenario: two weeks of an ultra-talented player in a loaded lineup. Best case scenario: he tears the cover off the ball and forces the Phillies hand. While the latter is an unlikely outcome, when talking about a skilled athlete like Brown, nothing is out of the question.

Update: Brown went 2-3, with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs in his debut.

Written by Adam Ganeles exclusively for TheFantasyFix.com.  Adam writes like most people breathe… effortlessly. The Fantasy Fix salutes him!

Think Domonic Brown will force the Phils hand?
Leave a comment and let us know, or reply to us on Twitter@TheFantasyFix

Here are some more articles that will not self destruct in ten seconds…

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The script is already written. Now, Phillies management needs to start following it.

Dominic Brown , the Phillies 22 year-old outfielding phenom, is the missing piece the 2010 Phillies need. They need to call him up right now.

Brown will come to the rescue, and once in the Phils’ lineup, his dynamic skillset will immediately help the Phillies win.

His mere presence and youthful flare will also inspire his veteran teammates who have all grown “complacent,” and lead them to their fourth straight NL East division title.  

If only it were all that simple.

Actually, Dominic Brown needs to stay in the minor leagues with the Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs for the remainder of the 2010 season.

Look, it has nothing to do with me doubting Brown’s abilities or his potential.  And no, it has nothing to do with me believing that Raul Ibanez will somehow rediscover the Lou Gehrig stroke he displayed during the first two months of 2009.

To tell you the truth, Dominic Brown could be ready for the big show right now. He really could be.

But here’s the catch—right now is not the right time to find out if he is.

For over a month, there has been a certain segment of Phillie fans and media members who have wanted to see Dominic Brown replace the offensively stagnant veteran Ibanez as the every day leftfielder. Phils’ management wants Brown to play almost (if not) every day, so calling him up to be a bench player is out of the question.

But promoting Brown would be totally unfair to one man and one man only. No, not Raul Ibanez, but Dominic Brown himself.

If the Phillies were out of the playoff picture, then sure, bringing up Brown could be justified. Of course, that’s not the case. The Phils are treading water just well enough to make us think they still have a chance to compete.

Therefore, bringing Brown up now would put the Phillies’ top prospect in a very difficult, pressure-packed situation.

Thankfully, the Phillies didn’t bring him up weeks ago.

Dominic Brown shouldn’t be asked to work through his growing pains at a time when the Phillies are fighting for their playoff lives.

There’s a reason why, usually, it takes even the most highest-rated prospects months, if not years, to figure out hitting at the major-league level. For every rookie call up who immediately sets the batter’s box ablaze, there are 10 rookies who initially struggle to find their groove. And that’s completely understandable for a young hitter.

For every rookie like Brennan Boesch, there are 10 like Mike Stanton.

Just look at Jason Heyward, the 20-year-old kid in Atlanta who this past spring was getting compared to some of the greatest hitters of all time even before he recorded a single major-league at-bat.

The “Jay-Hey Kid” was all but awarded the NL Rookie of the Year on Opening Day after his first major-league swing produced a screaming laser beam home run that’s still in orbit somewhere almost four months later.

Of course, Heyward’s going to be a star, but he’s also human, especially in his rookie season. Jason’s still having a good rookie campaign, but he’s also experienced some of the typical rookie growing pains that most young hitters struggle through.

Heyward saw his batting average fall from .298 in the end of May to .251 in the end of June. His run production hit a standstill while his strikeout totals exploded before he landed on the 15-day DL at the end of June.

Naturally, the Braves have reported that Heyward’s struggles were attributed to a sore thumb that had bothered him for a month before he went on the DL.

Just perfect, Atlanta. Guess that’s because Hank Aaron and Willie Mays never, ever hit slump, especially at age 20.       

The bottom line is that it was too much to just assume Heyward would tear up the league from day one, and the same is true in Brown’s case, even after already playing almost a full season of Triple-A ball in 2010.

This Phillies roster is filled with men who are battle-tested and fully expected to make the difference down the stretch. Dominic Brown is not one of them.

Of course, Brown should get his chance to play at Citizens Bank Park and get some major-league at-bats once Lehigh Valley’s 2010 season ends on Monday, September 6.

He should be one of a few minor-league call-ups. He’ll probably start some games, but he should not be forced into a position where he plays every day in the majors all while potentially in the heat of a pennant race.   

Dominic Brown should not and will not be the Phillies savior this season, but he could be in 2011 and beyond. The Phillies currently have an aging core of terrific but declining players and a farm system that right now doesn’t seem to be loaded with super-star prospects.

Dominic Brown could be the new face of this franchise in three years. He could be its savior.

But the thing is, he doesn’t need that kind responsibility just yet, and much more importantly, he doesn’t deserve the kind of pressure that comes with it.

For more on Dominic Brown, please click here .

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In just a matter of days, things have gone from bad to worse for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Injuries and losses continue to mount, all the while the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets have increased their lead in the NL East.  And, division aside, the Phillies currently sit fifth in the Wild Card standings.

After a brief revival from the offense, it has seemingly gone back in the tank. Heck, pitchers must be starting to feel like they need to hurl a perfect game to win—although that almost didn’t work for Roy Halladay.

When the team does manage to get a lead, the pitchers seem to squander it away. Although it would be  premature to conclude, the back-end of the bullpen scenario is starting to evoke memories of 2009—which, if you were vacationing out the country last year, is not a good thing.  

The prevailing sentiment amongst the Phillies organization is that there is no need to panic, but these are quickly becoming desperate times for them.

Over the past few days, the team learned that they would be without baseball’s best second baseman for a minimum of eight weeks. And, that only speaks to time off the field rather than a return to Chase Utley’s normal standard of play—which may not happen at all this season.

They also learned that their regular third baseman (and best option to replace Utley) will be out for at least another four weeks. It adds insult to injury that Placido Polanco is the one player who has hit consistently for them all year and currently sits second in the National League batting leaders.

Additionally, the news on the rehabilitation of its other injured players hasn’t been particularly encouraging, either.

Begin Slideshow