Opinion: Ruiz Should Hit The DL
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Sat, April 11, 2009 08:00 AM | Comments: 21
Opinion, Posts
Lou Marson is now with the team in Denver. Chris Coste will start tonight against the Rockies. And Carlos Ruiz will sit out, probably with a day-to-day sentence for a strained right oblique.
But Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus — who knows his injuries — had this to say on his Twitter:
“Sounds bad on Ruiz. Nothing solid, but sounds like the DL given the symptoms and the quick call to the Pigs.”
I concur. The oblique strain is a notorious injury — it hangs around even when you don’t feel it, mainly because you’re constantly putting work on your abdomen. For Ruiz, whose job is to crouch and stand — putting his abs to work up to 200 times in three hours (not counting stress put on while swinging and running) — an oblique strain can really turn into something worse.
At this point — if the pain is real — it’s best to shelve Ruiz for 15 days and let him recoup without the strain of regular catching duties. The Phillies have depth at catcher, though it is quite limited once you pass Marson. Coste can handle the primary role.



















Posts: 0 Gavin
Our pitchers are struggling enough as is, we dont need Ruiz out. Dam
Posted: 08:20 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Chooch's cooches
So is our offense so maybe this helps that a little
Posted: 09:30 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
You have to look at the positives here, of course it’s not ideal to have Ruiz out but his offense won’t be missed. As with the Romero situation it gives a chance to ride a couple of secondary contributors early like Taschner and Coste has shown to be at least offensively more productive early. There’s so much pressure put on the key guys shoulders early by us ans who’ve been deprived of our beloved sport for so many months, we forget the physical and emotional situation our players are in at this point in the year. Ruiz got knicked up before the season, he’s too important right now to not put him healing up for the tough months when he’s really needed as our primary concern.
Posted: 09:46 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Dan
A strained oblique is no joke, I know it sounds like you could play through it but honestly when your at the plate you get absolutely nothing behind your swings. It’s kinda like an upper body hamstring pull with recovery, in that you can’t come back too quick or you will have to start over.
Posted: 09:55 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
^and struggling is when your pitchers have something like an 0-3 record after 5 games with an ERA north of 6, an opposing average way over .300 and a WHIP dangerously north of 1.50 with a stupidly high walk rate.
Posted: 09:58 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Coste is Mr. April…. hey, trying to be positive here…
Posted: 10:20 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike
Hey Ruiz, take the year off. PLEASEEEEE….I love Marson.
Posted: 11:44 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Georgie
It’s not realistic to think that the team will be as injury-free as last year, things went way too smoothly in that department, one of the reasons they are WFC. There were guys down the stretch that were playing thru injuries that required surgery (Feliz, Utley), and maybe some we didn’t even hear about. Cole pitched WAY more innings than ever before, maybe that WS run is catching up with them, who knows? I question whether Chase should really be playing yet, couldn’t get down for that ground ball the other day, VERY un-Chase-like. I thought I saw Victorino limping back to the dugout on Wed., is he hurt/hiding something? Maybe I’m just paranoid, but the magical season that was 2008 is gone now, and I’m not expecting the same for 2009.
Posted: 11:59 AM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 ryan
if i have to watch another season of Chooch hitting two hoppers to the left side of the infield i might tear my eyeballs out
Posted: 12:00 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Georgie, Chase should be playing cause… well, he has the hottest bat on the team right now…
Posted: 12:19 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Chris.I
Chase doesn’t have the hottest bat on the team at the moment Manny, sorry to say! Infact he looks terrible, and almost looks like Howard striking out at the plate. I just hope it’s not due to the surgery.
On the other hand…I’m not surprised Hamels got bombed the way he did. It’s almost like he had that coming to him, for being so damn cocky. Is it me or is Hamels a cry baby? Last season his excuse was ”I need a Chiropractor”. This season ”My arm is sore”. If you ask me, I think he’s trying to get bumbed up in the rotation to avoid facing Santana, and other ”Ace match-ups”. I did realize his velocity was down, but why is it noone else is having these problems? I understand he threw 200+ innings last season, but how do we know for sure this wont happen every season
Posted: 12:36 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Georgie
Which, unfortunately Manny, isn’t saying much right now. I just want to be sure he doesn’t re-injure that hip.
Posted: 12:47 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 KevO
Manny, i beg to differ on that, i would say that belongs to Werth
Posted: 12:53 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Chris.I
I agree…Utley is looking terrible, almost mistaken identity for Ryan Howard with all them Strike outs so far…Not to mention his error on 2nd base on the first game, he doesn’t look like himself. I just hope that his hip isnt bothering him still.
Posted: 01:21 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Chris.I
Not to mention Hamels…I don’t even know where to begin with this guy. Is it me or is he a cry baby? Last season it was ”a chiropractor”. This season it’s ”a sore arm”. He got BOMBED yesterday…That’s what happens when you don’t keep your mouth shut, and act like God’s gift to baseball. He needs to get sent to the minors for a few games until his velocity comes back, before he has a 4.00 era this season. King Cole, huh?
Posted: 01:29 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Right now you should be ‘worried’ if your ace is Cliff Lee… Velocity doesn’t jus re-appear in the minors, it’s a DL stint of pitch to form for Hamels and thats pretty much an absolute unless the Phils intend to become trend setters which is pretty unlikely.
Posted: 01:45 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Werth “looks” better, I agree… but Utley’s average through 4 games is .429… Not too shabby.. The difference is that he hasn’t had the opportunity to drive runs in, because Shane and Jroll DO NOT GET ON BASE!! AGH!!
—But poor Chooch.
Posted: 02:10 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike
I love hamels but he is the worlds premadonna. He is so talented but the passion scares. He doesnt seem to want that ball. Then I hear him in interviews. OH MY GOD. Thats why I like Blanton. He is a horse..
Posted: 02:11 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Real Phillies Fan
Everyone needs to stop crying about a 1-3 start, seriously Cole was sore so the Phillies took the precaution of sending him to Philly to get it looked at which set him back in his throwing program, if anyone watched SportsRise this morning or last night and heard Dubee talking about Cole he said it’s the lack of throwing he’s done, its not a premadonna thing, it’s not a case that he talks too much its the fact that the Phils checked something out to make sure it wasn’t something more severe. If it takes him a start or two who cares? I’d rather have a healthy Cole then let him miss half the season because he hurt his arm in ST game. Dubee said it best all he needs to do is get his velocity up and that only comes when you throw more. Everyone needs to just chill on the premadonna and other garbage that’s being thrown about.
Posted: 02:35 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike
Sorry cant chill on the comment. He has alot of talent but he is Hollywood. His comment last year about not wanting to come back to soon, needing a dr for his back. About brett is capable of starting. SAY I WANT THE DAMN BALL AND THATS IT YOU WUSSY
Posted: 02:47 PM on April 11, 2009
Posts: 0 » Hamels Pounded in Debut, Phillies Routed by Rockies | Blogging-Baseball.com
[...] was described as a “right oblique strain”, otherwise known as an injured rib cage. Phillies Nation’s Tim Malcolm offers an in-depth analysis of the “right oblique strain” injury and strongly suggests [...]
Posted: 02:52 PM on April 11, 2009