Fantasy Baseball Digging for Saves: Is There a Closer Controversy in Philly?

Seeing Jose Contreras getting a day off on Friday was not surprising. He is 39 years old and had appeared in four games in five days. According to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (click here for the article), he had thrown 72 pitches over that stretch. 

He certainly deserved a rest, but is that why he was also not used on Saturday when a save opportunity presented itself once again? Gelb has a quote from manager Charlie Manuel saying, “He’ll be ready to pitch [Sunday].” He also said that Contreras “is OK.”

Now, fantasy owners are left wondering what is going to happen. Ryan Madson certainly has the better pure stuff, but his struggles in the closer’s role in the past led to him being overlooked for the role with Brad Lidge out of action. All he’s done over the past two days is allow one H and zero BB, striking out one, in 2.0 innings of work to lock down two saves.

Could he now start to see a few opportunities? His 1.00 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, along with 10 K, over 9.0 innings of work would certainly justify such a move.

However, what has Contreras done to lose his job? All he has done is post a 0.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, along with nine K, in 8.0 innings to convert five saves.

Are we going to move to a committee situation? Will the matchups dictate who is going to be used? Will one stumble by either pitcher lead to the other getting the next opportunity?

It’s hard to imagine Contreras losing the job, considering that he has done nothing but excel in the role thus far. However, the Phillies may want to see if Madson, 30 years old, has finally matured to the point that he could handle ninth inning duties. 

It is no secret that Brad Lidge is no lock as a closer and, with his contract expiring after 2011 (the team does hold a $12.5 million option that is unlikely to be picked up), the team needs to know if Madson can handle the job in 2012 (though he is also a free agent after the year) or if they need to import another option. Madson will likely command far less than someone like Heath Bell or Jonathan Papelbon.

How this will play out, no one knows, but it has become a difficult situation for fantasy owners. Both Contreras and Madson should be owned in all formats, but unless your league values middle relievers or if you are desperate for saves, both should be on your bench. In a perfect world, if you owned one you would also own the other, but we all know that’s not always possible. Given Madson’s history, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him stumble, but right now he certainly is in a groove.

What are your thoughts on the situation? Who do you think deserves the job? Who do you think will be the closer?

Make sure to check out the Rotoprofessor Closer Tracker (updated on April 24) by clicking here.

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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2011 MLB Season: Way Too Early Playoff Projections

The season is only 10 percent over, give or take depending on the the number of games each team has played. Hardly a milestone moment that allows early returns to hold any significance.

But it does offer a little more of a view than preseason predictions, does it not? Predictions that I did not make.

Thus, in election night coverage style, I will look at the early returns and make projections. These are the teams I forecast as winning the races for the eight playoff spots in order of record:

1. Philadelphia Phillies: An experienced team with dangerous hitting and what looks to be a great pitching staff thanks to an outstanding starting rotation. Even with both the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves both challenging them within the division, they can afford to upgrade before August if they cannot bank on winning the East—which would only further separate them from the other division leaders.
2. New York Yankees: The only team in the American League widely predicted to be where it is right now. The Evil Empire has pitching and hitting, and even with key players aging, they should be able to retain their early lead. Do not expect Brian Cashman to be shown up at the trade deadline like he has the last two years unless they have their position well in hand.
3. San Francisco Giants: for more on this team, visit a companion piece on Sports Haze Bay Area.
4. Milwaukee Brewers: The True Blue Brew Crew possesses a top tier pitching staff with what should be almost as good a starting rotation as the Giants and Phillies. They have enough punch in the middle of their lineup to win a deep but unspectacular division.
5. Colorado Rockies: Their early season success is no fluke, as the Rockies are having their best success outside of Colorado (7-1)—they were picked by many to battle with the Giants for the West because they have a combination of pitching, hitting, and big-game experience.
6. Detroit Tigers: The boldest pick in this grouping because the early troubles of Minnesota look like they will continue well into the season and someone has to pick up the slack. The Tigers have enough pieces, enough payroll to fill in gaps once they are in the hunt, and a manager who can get them the rest of the way—no other rival has all three of those qualities.
7. Oakland Athletics: This team has a pitching staff that can match up against any other and will be playing in a competitive division, but one lacking a team that is clearly better. Do not expect this to be another year in which they sell at the deadline, though they likely cannot afford to buy either.
8. Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox look so bad and there are enough teams competing for the playoff spot that the preseason World Series champions are in real trouble. No team has ever started 0-6 (or 2-10) and made the playoffs, but this would not be the first time a recent Red Sox team pioneered something in the oldest of major American sports. Boston would do well to dump David Ortiz before his obvious decline makes him no longer in demand, but they can unlikely get someone to adequately replace him in the lineup or upgrade the pitching staff at some point.

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Philadelphia Phillies Salvage Final Game of Series, Avoid Sweep vs. Brewers

For the first, but certainly not last, time this season, the Philadelphia Phillies lost a series. And for about five innings on Wednesday, it looked like the Phillies were about to get swept by a very good Milwaukee Brewers team.

The Brewers had twice as many hits in this series as the Phillies did, thanks in part to a solid series by their No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder. Braun batted 6-for-12 against the Phillies with three RBI, one home run and five runs scored. Fielder also recorded three RBI and batted 7-for-12.

The Phillies won game three after finally getting some home runs and after some solid relief pitching.

 

Chicks Dig the Longball  

Going into Wednesday afternoon’s game, the Phillies had only recorded 11 home runs all season. (The Yankees lead the league with 30.) Down 3-0, the Phillies gained the win thanks to Placido Polanco’s three-run homer and Shane Victorino’s solo shot that went deep into the Phillies’ bullpen.

But don’t count on the home runs by Polanco and Victorino sparking a torrid home run outburst just yet. The Phillies are heading out for four games to San Diego’s cavernous Petco Park where small ball will most likely be the winning formula.

 

Anyone Seen Jimmy Rollins?

Jimmy Rollins batted 1-for-12 against the Brewers and is batting 3-for-23 in the last seven days. I doubt he’ll stay in the three-hole much longer if he stays in this funk. Maybe the trip back to his home state of California will get his bat going again. 

 

The New and Improved Joe Blanton?

Joe Blanton, who lately had pitched as well as the Phillie Bot, pitched surprisingly well on Monday, getting through seven innings with only two earned runs and seven hits. After getting shellacked in Washington in his last start, Blanton watched his delivery on film and made an adjustment to his footing. Apparently it helped.

His other pitching counterparts did not fare as well. Roy Halladay gave up 10 hits and was charged with six runs while Cliff Lee gave up eight hits and three runs in six innings. Lee’s holding the Brewers to three runs was just enough for the Phillies’ offense to overcome Wednesday.

 

What Can We Expect from Kyle Kendrick and the Rest of the Bullpen?

RHP Kyle Kendrick pitched like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde against the Brewers. On Monday, he threw an oddity, allowing three runs on only one official at-bat. He walked the first batter he faced, made a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, gave up a run on a sac fly, hit a batter, threw a wild pitch, intentionally walked the next batter, gave up another sac fly, intentionally walked another batter and gave up an RBI single.

Now compare that to Wednesday when he threw nine total pitches in the seventh and got the top three batters of Milwaukee’s lineup to fly out. With how inconsistent the other right-handed relievers (Danys Baez and David Herndon) are throwing, Kendrick will really need to establish himself as a strong relief pitcher.

With J.C. Romero on the 15-day DL, left-handed relief pitcher Antonio Bastardo will probably see a lot more work as well. Bastardo is still pitching lights out. He has yet to allow a run in 6.2 innings pitched this season and has only given up two hits and three walks.

The Phillies brought up another LHP, Mike Zagurski. Big Z gave up a hit and a walk while striking out a batter in 0.1 innings of work on Tuesday.

 

Mr. Consistent: Jose Contreras

When it comes to the eighth and ninth innings, Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras are still a winning combination. On Wednesday, Contreras earned the save, thanks to some defensive help from Wilson Valdez and two strikeouts. The final strikeout came at Ryan Braun’s expense.

With Rickie Weeks on base, Braun at the plate (with a full count) and Fielder on deck, the game could have slipped away from the Phillies very quickly, but Contreras was confident in his 95-mph fastball and zipped it right past Braun.

Contreras earned his fourth save. Through seven games, he’s allowed three hits and three walks, but he’s struck out eight batters and hasn’t allowed a run. 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Does Jose Contreras Deserve Shot as Permanent Closer?

I’ve always been a fan of Jose Contreras. He’s 39 years old, going strong and still throwing nasty splitters.

This season, Brad Lidge was placed on the DL yet again, and the Phillies needed someone to step up in place of him. 

This has happened in the past, and the Phillies usually went with Ryan Madson. However, it was clear that he was not meant to be a closer, as he blew numerous save opportunities.

The Phillies tested Madson already, and it didn’t go as planned. So who did they experiment with this season? Jose Contreras.

Turns out, he performed spectacularly—zero earned runs in seven games and a perfect 4-of-4 in save opportunities.

We are only about a month into baseball season, so you can make the argument that it is too early. But Contreras is off to a hot start, and there’s no doubt about it. 

There is also no question that Contreras has been more than serviceable as a closer. In fact, he is pitching so good that the thought of making him the everyday closer has popped up in discussion (let’s assume for the column’s sake that he remains hot when Lidge comes back).

He is the backup and is doing a great job as stated, but the number one closer, Lidge, is granted his starting job back, right?

Well, not so set and stone if you ask me.

If Contreras keeps this up and remains consistent, how will Charlie Manuel be able to sit someone who is playing so well?

I’m not trying to pick sides here, but just trying to think how Manuel will look at the scenario. In fact, I personally thought that Lidge was going to have a rebound season.

We saw this same situation occur for the Eagles, when Michael Vick was playing very well in substitution for Kevin Kolb. 

Kolb recovered from a concussion, but was not granted his starting job back because Vick was playing too good to have him sit on the bench.

Will the same outcome occur with Phillies?

I think there’s a chance. But to be honest, I’m not quite sure exactly what the Phillies should do here. Sure, Contreras will still be able to pitch, but he has been very effective in the closing role.

The Phillies have some time to think about this considering that Lidge won’t return until late May to early June.

It’s a thought that’s up for an intriguing debate that comes down to one question: Do you sit Contreras, who is hot right now and grant the position back to your original closer, or do you keep in the pitcher who is doing well?

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Florida Marlins Look Like Challengers to Phillies in NL East

It may be early, it may be an aberration, it may be a smokescreen, but the Florida Marlins might be the Philadelphia Phillies‘ biggest threat in the 2011 season.

As of now in the NL East standings, the Philadelphia Phillies are on top with a record of 11-6 while the Florida Marlins have are a tight second with a record of 10-6, which means they are a half-game back from the Phillies and first place.

As the stats show, it is going to be a wire-to-wire rivalry between Florida and Philadelphia.

Batting Average

Philadelphia Phillies: .273

Florida Marlins: .265

Home Runs

Philadelphia Phillies: 13

Florida Marlins: 8

Runs Batted In

Philadelphia Phillies: 80

Florida Marlins: 63

Stolen Bases

Philadelphia Phillies: 11

Florida Marlins: 7

ERA

Florida Marlins: 3.04

Philadelphia Phillies: 3.56

WHIP

Florida Marlins: 1.20

Philadelphia Phillies: 1.24

Strikeouts

Philadelphia Phillies: 133

Florida Marlins: 113

While it looks like the Phillies have an edge on the Marlins, it is by a slight margin.

As for the pitching, two (Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco) against three (Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt and Cliff Lee) may not be fair odds, but all the Marlins have to do is catch the Phillies with one or two of their three aces in order to really give them trouble.

The next time these two rivals meet is on the second week of May.

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Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Wild, Mistake-Laden Top of the 3rd

Gold Notes

The top of the third inning of the Phillies vs. Brewers Wednesday matinee was a wild, mistake-filled affair.

As Rickie Weeks, the Brewers second baseman and leadoff hitter, stepped into the box to start the second inning against Phils starter Cliff Lee, CSN’s play-by-play man Tom McCarthy took note of a stat that he tossed to his longtime broadcast partner Chris Wheeler.

The following short exchange is not verbatim, but it does capture the spirit of it:

McCarthy: Rickie Weeks led the NL with an extraordinary 754 plate appearances last year.

Wheeler: Wow, he must not have drawn many walks.

To be honest, I’m not sure if Wheels covered himself later, as I was distracted by my favorite almost three-year-old on the planet.

Of course, walks—and just about anything and everything that can happen to a hitter—counted as part of those plate appearances and Weeks did draw a respectable 76 of them.

He also fanned 184 times, but that’s another story.

Now, I’m not one of Wheeler’s biggest detractors and he certainly has them. In my mind, he knows the game of baseball inside and out, even if hardly a lovable figure.

He does deserve a mulligan here.

Anybody who is more or less speaking extemporaneously for three-plus hours a game is bound to want a few sentences back.

While Wheels’ miscue stood out at the time, it may have ushered in the weirdest half-inning of the season.

Weeks followed by weakly cuing a ball off the end of the bat that rolled slowly just outside the first-base foul line. The second sacker never broke from the box as Ryan Howard waited patiently to see if the ball would roll into fair territory.

The ball just inched fair in front of the bag, and the Phils slugger alertly grabbed it and stepped on the bag for the first out.

The ballhawk that is center fielder Carlos Gomez followed with a routine pop-up to first base for out number two, bringing the red-hot Ryan Braun to the dish.

Braun lofted a pop-up that appeared to be foul just beyond first. Wilson Valdez camped under it but then made a miscue every bit as bad as Wheeler’s speaking gaffe or Weeks’ refusal to run to first on his cue shot. The ball clanked off the normally reliable infielder’s glove just into fair territory.

Braun, who would have been on second base if he had been hustling, took first base with two outs.

Up stepped the massive and “massively hot” Prince Fielder, who doubled off the wall in left center. Braun, motoring like a man possessed, got a great jump and kept going, ignoring the stop sign of third base coach Ed Sedar (who is not an easy man to miss).

Braun got a major reprieve, as shortstop Jimmy Rollins’ throw home was a little off-line and in a place where catcher Carlos Ruiz could not block the plate. With a heads-up slide to the third-base side of the plate, Braun made it home safely. A good throw would have nailed him by a half step or so.

With the lumbering Fielder on second, third baseman Casey McGehee singled sharply to right. First and third, right? With Fielder going nowhere, McGehee made too lazy a turn toward second base. A good throw by Ben Francisco hit cutoff man Ryan Howard, who made an easy tag of the Brewers’ wandering third baseman for the final out.

When it was over, the top of the third produced two hits, an unearned run, three or four baserunning gaffes, a Little League-level fielding error and a bad mistake by a veteran broadcaster.

As I write, the Phils and Brewers are tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to Placido Polanco’s three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth.

If it seems like this was the Phillies’ first homer and first runs in weeks (no relation to Ricky), this writer had the same impression.

 

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Why They Won’t Finish Like the 1996 Atlanta Braves

The Phillies‘ starting pitching rotation has drawn many comparisons to the 1996 pitching staff of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves pitchers had a very strong season from their pitchers, but they lost in the World Series to the New York Yankees, four games to two. 

So how will the Phillies finish this season? 

The Braves had three very good starters in their rotation during that year. Their “big three” included John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. All three of the starters won at least 15 games during the season and each posted a sub-3.00 ERA.

The Phillies powerhouse has had a very good start to the 2011 season. The top four have posted 83 strikeouts, and seven wins in 13 starts. 

Halladay and Lee have both been very dominant late in the season in their respective times with the team. Cole Hamels won the World Series MVP in 2008. Roy Oswalt made a huge impact for the team after being acquired late last season. And Big Joe can surprise people at times. He will most likely be in the bullpen during the postseason as the team will most likely use a four-man rotation, so he may or may not have an impact.

The big question is, can they perform when it is needed?

The answer to that is yes. There is very little doubt that the Phillies will make the playoffs. They have the experience, talent and depth to go deep into the playoffs with their pitching.

Their offense is also very deep and has a lot of talent. With guys like John Mayberry Jr., Ben Francisco and Ross Gload as fill-ins in the outfield as well as players like Wilson Valdez, Pete Orr and Delwyn Young who bring experience. 

The Braves offense collapsed late in the series in the ’96 Series and the Phillies have a very versatile lineup who can score runs and produce. The Phillies have a very strong, deep lineup who give them a very good chance to win another World Series title. 

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Halladay Beating: Brewers Rout Phillies Ace on a Very Different Night in Philly

The Philadelphia Phillies sent their ace of aces—their Ace of Spades, if you will—to the hill last night after the previous night’s frustrating 12-inning loss. The winning pitcher responded by yielding only two hits in six innings of work as his team won 9-0.

Good news for Phillies fans, right? Think again.

Not on this night. It was former Phillies left-hander Randy Wolf (someone the Phils usually rough up) who shut the home team down, as his Brewers were giving the great Roy Halladay a rare, horrible night at the office.

In some ways, the result was as appropriate as it was difficult to digest for Phillies fans. Please follow my logic.

The game was played on the second evening of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which is known as the Second Seder Night. In essence, a Seder is a long dinner and service that can last as long as a Major League baseball doubleheader; take my word for it.

One of the highlights of Passover is the youngest child present singing a traditional song called the Four Questions, that begins with the iconic (to some): Why is this night different from all other nights?

Speaking of Passover, one of MLB’s brightest Jewish stars, Ryan Braun, shined for the Brewers. The sweet-swinging left-fielder went 2-3 with a homer, an RBI, three runs and two bases on balls.

Not known for his defense, Braun also made the key defensive play of the night, robbing shortstop Jimmy Rollins of what looked to be a two-run double when the Brewers held a still narrow 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third.

Before we get to my own Four Questions, here is a bonus query: Why wasn’t Ryan Braun tied up at a Seder as some of us were? It would have helped the Phillies cause immensely.

So, why (and how) was this night different from all other nights?

1) On all other nights, the Phillies bounce back from losses with a win of their own: What happened on this night?

Even the most fervent Phillies fan did not expect their favorite team to never have a losing streak in 2011. Did they?

The Phillies had not lost as many as two straight in their previous 15 games prior to the ugly 9-0 defeat. Not only do they now have a losing streak, but the loss means that they will now drop a series for the first time.

With their vaunted pitching staff, the Phillies—who start Ace of Hearts, Cliff Lee, in this afternoon’s matinee—don’t figure to go on too many extended losing streaks. The 162-game grind dictates, however, that there will be losing streaks and lost series along the way.

2) On all other nights, Roy “Doc” Halladay dominates; what happened on this night?

In his short Cy Young-winning tenure with the Phillies, Halladay has suffered through very few outings in which he did not look like one of the very best pitchers on the planet. It was very un-Doc-like to see him give up 10 hits and six runs (all earned) while walking two and only fanning three in 6.2 innings of work.

The strangest event of the night was seeing Halladay taken out of the game in the middle of an inning. Reliever David Herndon did not help Doc’s stats by surrendering a three-run homer to third baseman Casey McGehee; two of those runs were charged to Doc.

How rare was it to see Halladay pulled in the middle of the seventh inning? According to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, this marked only the fourth time in his last 69 starts (including about half of those starts in a Blue Jays uniform) that this has occurred.

So, what happened? He’s human; even the best will throw in a few clunkers among their 33 or so starts.

3) On all other nights, the Phillies offense explodes; why were they unable to do anything last night?

Perhaps, this question should be re-worded.

The offense, which surely had some question marks heading into this season (no Jayson Werth; where’s Chase Utley?), is scuffling for runs and extra-base hits right now. They certainly have not looked particularly potent in their last seven games.

And with all deference to Randy Wolf, who pitched well in earning his second win, one expects more than two hits against an average pitcher and a bullpen that does not include Mariano Rivera and Brian Wilson.

There was much concern that the 2011 Phillies attack would more resemble “Judy” than “Punch.” With apologies to my female readers, that does appear to be the case right now.

The Phillies have never been known for playing small ball, but there may have been a positive sign or two to be found in last night’s otherwise anemic attack. Jimmy Rollins bunted for a base hit; now that’s different. And the men in red pinstripes also coaxed four walks while only fanning five times. They also executed a double steal in that (unlucky) bottom of the third.

4) In all other seasons, Chase Utley plays second and bats third; when are you coming back, Chase?

Yes, the Phillies had a pretty good record without Utley in their lineup last year, and their 10-6 record does project to 101 wins. But let’s not kid ourselves. As terrific as Wilson Valdez has been as a stop-gap replacement, the Phillies miss Utley’s bat and leadership.

For a good projection of Utley’s possible return, please see http://bleacherreport.com/articles/670463-philadelphia-phillies-notes-chase-utely-eyes-return-brad-lidge-healing-more

Nobody knows whether we’ll see Utley back by the end of May, but his return will allow Rollins to return to another position in the lineup (although one can still debate where he would be most effective) and Valdez to return to his role as super-sub.

The pitching is good enough to keep the team in games and in the thick of the pennant race without him, but it is hard to believe that the Phillies are not missing their best all-around player.

In the final analysis, even Chase Utley would not have made a difference on a different kind of night at Citizens Bank Park.

And yes, to complete the holiday analogy, one might say that Roy Halladay was serving up some matzo balls last night that Braun and his teammates were not missing.

One might also say that this, too, will Passover. Oy!

For more information on Matt Goldberg’s new books, as well as writing, speaking and interview requests, please e-mail: matt@tipofthegoldberg.com or contact him via his Bleacher Report homepage.

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Ubaldo Jimenez: How Do Phillies Match Up with Rockies If He Returns to Form?

The Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies are both off to terrific starts this season. While the Phillies were the “sexy” pick by the national media, the Rockies were a team that many felt had the potential to make the postseason.

The first 16 games of this season have many Rockie fans thinking much bigger than just an early exit from the postseason. They have raced to the best record in the National League thus far, and they have done so without Ubaldo Jimenez, a top-10 pitching talent in Major League Baseball, period.

The Rockies starting rotation went without a loss in their first nine games. Very impressive. Will the return of the Rockies ace boost an already solid starting rotation, or will the other starters take the foot off the gas pedal with their workhorse back in the mix?

We will find out in the coming weeks. Jimenez finally returned to the mound on Tuesday. He has been on the DL since injuring his thumb on Opening Day.

Baseball fans know how electric Jimenez’s arm is, but are they worried about facing the Rockies in a potential NLCS matchup?

We may be looking at a small sample size here, but the Phillies have shown through their first 16 games that they are the class of the NL East (sorry Atlanta, but who’s your daddy?). If they were to meet Colorado in a seven-game series, how would their four aces match up against the surprising Rockies, who have posted a solid 3.70 team ERA thus far?

If Jimenez can resemble anything close to the dominating pitcher he was before the All-Star break of last season (15-1, 2.20 ERA, three complete games, one no-hitter), are the Rockies a legitimate contender for the National League crown?

Does his 100-mph fastball match up to the surgical-like precision of the Doctor? Halladay showed last season that the bright lights of the postseason (or a pulled groin for that matter) will not stop him from embarrassing hitters and making Phillies Nation smile.

Colorado’s young guns have pitched great through 16 games, but can the Rockies counter Lee, Oswalt or Hamels (oh my!) even with a healthy Jimenez taking the ball twice (possibly three times) in a seven-game series?

Everyone knows that baseball is a brutal 162-game grind and a team can lose a key player or pitcher at any time. Let’s just say everyone stays healthy, and here are potential pitching matchups if the two teams square off in the NLCS this season.

The national media has fallen in love with this Rockies team and for good reason, but here is an early reality check for the “Rocky Mountain State.” Cheer, cheer for the Red Wings.

Begin Slideshow

Philadelphia Phillies Notes: Chase Utley Eyes Return, Brad Lidge Healing

Last night’s extra-innings loss to the Milwaukee Brewers exemplified everything that is wrong with the Philadelphia Phillies in recent weeks. The offense—which came out of the gates to start the season like its collective pants were on fire—has slumped into oblivion, having scored no more than four runs in a single game since April 9 in Atlanta.

Another of the Phils’ greatest weaknesses reared its ugly head last night, as the bullpen blew another game wide open for the opposition late in the ball game—this game, of course, well into extra innings.

After Joe Blanton threw seven strong innings, Ryan Madson, who had been perfect all season, finally surrendered a run to allow the Brewers to tie the game. In fact, the only reliever spared from last night’s game was Danys Baez, as Charlie Manuel chose instead to go with Kyle Kendrick in the 12th inning.

Even in limited action, Kendrick has found a way to blow games. In just a single inning, he walked three batters and committed a costly error, allowing three runs to score and effectively burying a scuffling Phils offense. As I said, last night’s game effectively exploited all of the Phillies‘ weaknesses—the bullpen and an offense entering an early season slump.

The offense is in need of a boost, and a couple of guys setting their eyes on returning from injury could be just the boost that this club needs. The first of which is a guy who’s managed to hog the headlines for the past couple of months, despite not having stepped foot on the field during a game.

As Chase Utley begins to test his knee, we wonder just how much time he’ll miss. According to a few sources, it may not be long before Led Zepplin’s “Kashmir” is blasting through the speakers at Citizens’ Bank Park.

Utley, who had been sidelined by patellar tendinitis—among other things—began doing some light fielding as the Phillies broke spring camp, and has been steadily progressing ever since. Not only has he continued to field and swing the bat, but recently, Utley’s been running around the bases and testing his lateral movement—both big steps towards his return.

One of the most reliable sources for injury related news weighed in on Utley’s situation recently, when Will Carroll of Sports Illustrated, who does an excellent job keeping fantasy baseball owners updated on the latest injuries around the league, wrote what he has observed about Utley’s condition and what other observers have reported to him:

“They’re pushing him to either side, back and forth, left and right. [It’s] not so much about range as the back and forth,” I was told by one observer. The best news is that Utley’s knee showed no real signs of trouble after adding activities. I expect this to continue forward now that the medical staff has gotten ahead of the issue. Now it will come down to maintenance and making sure that there’s no surprises. Often there’s some setbacks when players go 100 percent, since it’s difficult to simulate the full-go or the unconscious uses on the body. Right now, that May 15 ERD is looking like it might be too negative.

Click here to read more. 

So according to Carroll, an earlier proposed May 15 return date for Utley is looking a little negative. Personally, I’m not optimistic that Utley can return before that date, only because he hasn’t even adjusted himself to live pitching yet.

Word from around the league is that Utley will continue to test his knee at 100 percent, and when he feels comfortable moving forward (as in no discomfort the day after rigorous drills), he’ll begin a rehab assignment.

Recently, I asked Ryan Lawerence, who covers the Phillies for the Delco Times, whether or not he thought that, after observing Utley several times, an early May return date was a possibility. He wasn’t so sure.

@ryanlawrence21 If you had to guess at Utley return date, early May too soon?

@Greg_Pinto eh, it’s tough to guess bc he tells us (and by extension, you) nothing. Maybe mid-May.

Even in that scenario, Lawerence’s mid-May estimation seems to line up perfectly with the estimated May 15 return date that several injury specialists at SI.com have proposed. If that is indeed the case, it is excellent news for the Phils’, whose lineup can use a serious boost.

In other news, Domonic Brown is recovering nicely from his broken hand. He played in an extended spring training game yesterday, playing five innings and collecting two hits in three at-bats.

He, too, could provide a nice boost to the Phils lineup, especially if Raul Ibanez and Ben Francisco continue to struggle collectively. We know that Charlie Manuel loves hitting and wants to see a bit more power in his lineup, which Brown could, theoretically, provide.

Correcting the bullpen may not be such a simple task.

While Jose Contreras has filled in admirably in the absence of Brad Lidge, and despite last night’s outing, Ryan Madson has been stellar in his eighth inning role, the Phils bullpen is going to struggle. Lidge’s injury means that the bullpen has to shuffle its roles, and that isn’t a good thing for the Phillies, who have a serious lack of a capable arms to pitch in the seventh inning.

That situation worsened a bit on Monday night, when JC Romero left the game early, citing a calf injury. He went down like a ton of bricks and had trouble getting back up, so the disabled list seemed like a possible destination last night, and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reiterated those thoughts this morning when he spoke to an unhappy Romero.

“Probably, probably some time,” Romero said, asked if he expected to be placed on the DL. “I don’t know how long, but hopefully 15 days or so.”

Obviously, Romero hitting the DL would only weaken the Phillies bullpen even further. That leaves Antonio Bastardo as the lone left-handed option for Charlie Manuel, and there is not guarantee that the club calls on lefty Mike Zagurski in his absence. He has struggled with control in the past and the Phils could use stability more than anything right now.

If I had to guess, I would assume Mike Stutes gets the call, despite being right-handed. The coaching staff was infatuated with him in Spring Training, and the club could use a fresh arm.

As for Lidge, he is probably the furthest away from returning, though he did get some good news earlier in the week. He met with team doctors who told him that his injury his healed. Now, he’ll need to begin rebuilding arm strength—the toughest, lengthiest part of his rehab. He’ll begin throwing in about two weeks and hopes to return before the all-star break. 

When Lidge returns, there is no guarantee that the Phils will relieve Contreras of the closer’s role. That said, however, Lidge would provide a more reliable seventh inning option than what the team currently has.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

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