Phillies Nation

A few brief  injury notes here from around the Phillies’ system….

-Kelly Dugan (pictured), who nastily twisted his ankle last month, has returned to action after missing nearly three weeks of playing time.  On April 20th, the Phillies’ top draft pick from 2009 sprained his ankle when he stepped on first base awkwardly, taking a throw on a ground out.

According to Lakewood manager Mickey Morandini, Dugan played in extended spring training games on Thursday and Friday and is feeling much improved, running and hitting with no difficulties.

For an image of Dugan’s awfully bruised and swollen ankle, from the time of the injury, click here.

In 15 games with Lakewood this season, the 21-year-old Dugan posted a .245 batting average with 2 doubles, 2 homeruns and 9 RBI.

-Lefty pitcher Nick Hernandez is still roughly a month away from facing hitters.  The Phils’ 12th round draft pick from 2009 has been out of action for nearly two years.  The 6-foot-5-inch 215-pounder underwent surgery on the labrum in his throwing shoulder last season after rehabbing the injury since the previous May with failed results.

According to the 23-year-old Hernandez, who spoke exclusively with PhilliesNation.com’s Jay Floyd earlier this week, “I’ve thrown three bullpen sessions already and the ball is feeling good in my hand.” Continue reading Injury Updates: Dugan, Hernandez, De Fratus

Thome heads to the DL, Kratz called up. Photo (AP)

Update, 4:37 pm: The beat reporters traveling with the squad in Atlanta have reported that Cliff Lee is getting closer to a return. He threw a pain-free bullpen session today. He’ll toss one more within the next week and could be activated from the DL shortly thereafter. Lee says he did feel something during some workouts, but did not when he pitched. He says it’s slowly getting better.

Ryan Lawrence of the Delco Times had an update on Chase Utley.

David Herndon has a flexor pronator strain in his pitching elbow. He won’t throw for three weeks. Brian Sanches took his spot on the roster after he was DL’ed on Monday

Domonic Brown has a strained wrist, he’s day-to-day at Lehigh Valley. Doesn’t sound like anything serious.

Jim Thome is on his way to Clearwater to work out the back injury that has him on the shelf. Charlie Manuel told the beats it’s best for him to work out in warm weather.

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2:48: pm: As reported by Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sports Net,  the Phillies have sent 1B Jim Thome to the DL with a lower back strain and have recalled C Erik Kratz. Thome, 41, strugged in 21 plate appearances, hitting only two singles and drawing three walks while striking out 10 times. Kratz, 31, has been on fire in Triple-A hitting .292/.333/.500 with 4 doubles and 2 HRs and will help fill a bench that remains devoid of right-handed hitters.

Salisbury pointed out Dom Brown is hitting .253 in Triple-A with no HRs and would likely not receive consistent playing time had he been called up. Salisbury also noted that popular Spring Training players Scott Podsednik and Hector Luna also are struggling in Triple-A, hitting .185 and .235 respectively. Kratz’s move did not require a 40-man roster move as Kratz is the third catcher on the 40-man roster.

Lakewood first baseman Kelly Dugan (pictured, left) has been sent to the Phillies’ spring traning home in Clearwater, FL to rehab his injured ankle.

The switch-hitting Dugan has been sidelined since the Class A BlueClaws’ game at Hagerstown on April 20th, when he stepped on first base awkwardly, while taking a throw on a ground out, and turned his left ankle.

According to Lakewood manager Mickey Morandini, there is no time frame for a return for Dugan, but the injury is not very serious.

“It’s basically a twisted ankle.  Once the swelling goes down and the pain goes away, he’ll resume some strengthening (exercises) and he’ll start running again,” Morandini stated.

Morandini added that Dugan spent some time in a protective boot, after suffering the injury, to limit the range of motion and to keep the swelling contained. Continue reading Dugan to Rehab Ankle in Clearwater

Righty reliever Justin De Fratus, who has been checking in with this site throughout his delayed 2012 campaign regarding his progress, as he recovers from an elbow ailment, has experienced a setback on his road to recovery.

De Fratus told PhilliesNation.com’s Jay Floyd exclusively last weekend that, following a rehab appearance with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers that he would have a similar outing with Clearwater the following Wednesday.  After experiencing more discomfort with his increasingly aggressive work schedule, De Fratus was shut down by the Phillies, as a precautionary measure to avoid additional problems.

Described as a strain on the flexor tendon in his throwing elbow, the ailment is expected to heal fully with rest.  The native of Oxnard, CA is expected to sit out for two weeks and will then be reevaluated for a return to an active throwing program. Continue reading De Fratus Experiences Setback with Elbow

Right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus has recovered from the elbow ailment that kept him out of action throughout all of spring training and has begun facing batters in minor league rehab appearances.  The Phillies’ 11th round draft pick from 2007 has been checking in, on a regular basis, and providing exclusive updates directly to the fans about his road back to action at the upper levels, throughout the past several weeks, right here on PhilliesNation.com.

De Fratus, 24, went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings
in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year
before making his Major League debut in September and holding opponents
to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances.

This week, De Fratus, who has been on the disabled list for the Phillies since the season began, is back in action, appearing with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers as he works his elbow into shape in somewhat of a delayed spring training.  This week, Justin shared his thoughts on his return to competition, his steps going forward, the Phillies’ struggling offense and more.  Read ahead for a full rundown of Justin’s exclusive comments.
On where he is with his progress right now and what is next…

After working to get myself prepared to throw in my first games of the year, I’ve thrown in two and everything’s going well.  I’m trying to get myself prepared for the season now…you know, being ready to pitch every day and that type of thing.

I threw in an extended spring training game on Thursday and I threw a scoreless inning for the Threshers (on Sunday). The cool thing about the game with Clearwater was that I had those first outing jitters and I missed that.  It was good to feel that. I’m happy with where I am. In the grand scheme of things, you’ve got to remember that this was essentially my second outing of spring training.  So, even though it’s April, I have to remind myself that I’m not going to be as sharp as I want to be.  I’m still trying to get a feel for the strike zone and everything.  I’m throwing strikes, but I’m not throwing it as aggressively as I normally would.  I’m getting into the flow.  No cause for concern, this is normal for the stage that I’m at right now.  Everything’s been completely positive right now.  I’m really happy with where I am. Continue reading De Fratus Checks In: Rehab Games, Struggling Offense & More

The fan favorite known to his family and friends as “J-Bone” is back with another inside look at his progress to begin a new season. Right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus shares his thoughts, exclusively with PhilliesNation.com once again, from Clearwater, FL.

The 24-year-old hurler, who was selected in the 11th round of the 2007 draft, went 6-3 with 15 saves, a 2.99 ERA and 99 strike outs in 75 1/3 innings in his time with Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year before making his big league debut in September and holding opponents to a .083 batting average in 5 appearances. Heading forward, De Fratus, a native of Oxnard, CA, hopes to be an impact contributor in the Phillies bullpen for years to come.

In the latest edition of The J-Bone Zone, Justin discusses his recovery from elbow soreness this spring, his plans to compete in game action, the always dreaded cuts days in minor league camp and much more. Read ahead to get in the Zone.

On the current state of his right elbow, which kept him out of action for roughly a month…

I feel really good. I feel as close to normal, if not as normal as I can. I feel completely healthy right now. And this is a little bit of a spring training, since I didn’t get one. I’ve thrown two bullpens so far and they’ve been good. The ball’s coming out well. I haven’t thrown any breaking pitches yet. I’ve been throwing all fastballs. It’s been going good and I am excited with where I am right now. Continue reading De Fratus Checks In: What’s Next, Cut Days, Fantasy Drafting

“I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Chase Utley told reporters Sunday, after speaking briefly in sunny Clearwater. He said that his knee will not require surgery, and that he will not even look into a surgical procedure unless it gives him 100% recovery, which is unlikely. He will be doing some new rehab workouts to ease himself into his routine. He expects to play this season, but mentioned that it will take time and that he doesn’t want to rush things.

Utley has been battling his knee issues for a while now, and the last two years have really held him back. He missed all of Spring Training last year and the first two and half months of the season.

It was revealed in an MRI last year that he had patellar tendinitis, a condition that affects the tendon connecting the kneecap to the shin. It was also said that he suffered from Chrondromalacia patella, which means that the actual tissue under the kneecap is soft, creating constant, uncomfortable pain.

What he said today was something that we all expected. Once he left camp to see a specialist, we all kind of expected the Phillies to begin the season without their 33 year old second basemen. There were some encouraging things he said, like when he said that the pain he was experiencing was not as bad as last year, and that he would begin some new rehab exercises. This could suggest that he might return to the Phillies sooner than he did last year (46 games), and might be able to play a little better with less pain.

In the absence of Utley, we should expect the Phillies to turn to Freddy Galvis and possibly someone outside of the organization to fill in. With Ryan Howard also on the shelf with no timetable for return, the Phillies offense will surely struggle, so while we don’t want Utley to rush things, we definitely want him back as soon as possible. Get well soon, Chase, the Phillies need you.

After undergoing shoulder surgery last April, lefty pitcher Nick Hernandez has been striving to get healthy so that he can continue living his dream of playing professional baseball. A 12th round draft selection in 2009 out of the University of Tennessee by the Phillies, Hernandez expects to return to the mound soon after being out of action for a lengthy stretch.

Hernandez, the nephew of Major League umpire Angel Hernandez and the son of former Brewers 1st round draft pick Nick (father is Nicolas, son is Nicholas) Hernandez, became an All-Star in the South Atlantic League with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws in 2010 by posting a 3-1 record with a 1.61 ERA while striking out 52 and walking just 8 in 56 innings pitched in 2010. Following his tremendous start that year, Hernandez began experiencing discomfort in his throwing shoulder and was shut down for much of the remainder of the season. He rehabbed that year, making four starts with the Gulf Coast League Phillies but experienced a setback and did not return to action until the Florida Instructional League that autumn.

After being diagnosed with another labrum issue last April, rest and rehab were clearly not enough to get Hernandez back to full health, so surgery was required. Hernandez, a Hialeah, FL resident, has been recovering ever since.

With a self-described 80-85% health in his shoulder right now, Hernandez has progressed to a throwing program at 120-feet distance and has not begun pitching from a mound yet. The lengthy rehab process is not discouraging to the 23-year-old, however he is extremely determined to return to game action. Beyond that, Hernandez doesn’t quite have any goals yet.

“It’s been a long road with a couple of setbacks during the process, but I think the last setback was my final hurdle,” Hernandez said. “Right now my only goal is to get completely healthy. I can’t have pitching goals because, right now, pitching in games is still some ways away for me.” Continue reading Health is the Focus for LHP Prospect Hernandez

Martinez joins the parade of injured Phils infielders.

The hits just keep coming for the Phillies. Utility infielder Michael Martinez broke a bone in his right foot after being hit by a Jim Johnson pitch leaving Hector Luna and Pete Orr as the only utility infield options as Kevin Frandsen was optioned to the Minor League camp shortly after the game.

Luna has 313.1 career innings at shortstop but none since 2006; Orr has only played 44 innings at short and has not played there since playing 43 innings there for the Nats in 2008. Martinez’s injury leaves the club presumably without a back-up shortstop for the immediate future and very thin up the middle. John Finger of Comcast reports that while no timetable has been given for recovery, this type of injury sidelines athletes for approximately 4-6 weeks.

So we’ve learned that Chase Utley probably won’t be ready for Opening Day, a reality many of us assumed but wanted badly not to hear this season.

In the last episode of Phillies Nation TV, Pat asked why Utley hadn’t yet seen an inning in the field or a plate appearance against live pitching. It was a valid question that offered more and more room for pessimism the longer you thought about it.

Sure, resting Utley was logical. But if he was going to be OK, why not give him an inning a week or a few at-bats just to catch him up to speed? Jimmy Rollins has dealt with plenty of injuries to his lower-half and he’s been out there regularly this Spring. It just didn’t bode well and on Monday, Phillies Nation (the collective, not the site), awoke to a nightmarish scenario that may turn out to be passable, but may usher in the end of the Chase Utley era in Philadelphia.

That’s the longer-term scenario we’re looking at here. Utley is 33 with a contract that expires after next season and knees that will never get better. The last part of that sentence has been stated both subtly and explicitly by Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro.

Utley is missing cartilage in his knee, and as Amaro put it Monday, “you just can’t grow back cartilage.” There is likely bone-on-bone friction in Utley’s knee(s), and all you have to do is imagine the feeling of moving laterally with bones rubbing each other to understand why such a cautious approach is necessary and why Utley is probably destined for DH-duty in his next deal.

This isn’t a curable condition, it’s one you attempt to manage, but the fact remains that nobody in the Phillies organization knows what is going to happen with Utley in 2012, much less 2013 and beyond. I can guarantee you that nobody in the front office is thinking about how to approach Utley’s next contract because no one knows what he’ll be 18 months from now.

It’s an incredibly sad situation. Utley was on a Hall-of-Fame pace through the end of 2009, when he was averaging a .301/.388/.535 slash-line with 32 homers and 43 doubles in full seasons while playing elite defense (top-1 or top-2 in the sport) at a premium position.

Utley was the player that separated the Phillies from other teams.

This was before Roy Halladay, and for half of 2009, before Cliff Lee. It was after Cole Hamels’ stellar postseason run but before he turned into a four-pitch demon. Utley was what was different about the Phillies. A patient hitter who could hit the ball anywhere, for power and average, reach balls to his left and right that 25 second basemen can’t glove and run the bases exceptionally.

Now, he’s a shell of that.

Continue reading The Utley Era Wasn’t Supposed to Go Like This