Philadelphia Phillies: Ryan Howard to Start His Rehab Journey

According to Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ryan Howard is starting to get back into the swing of things both literally and figuratively.

The power-hitting first baseman has been cleared for baseball activities and will be heading to Florida on Sunday.

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said that Howard will begin simply by fielding some ground balls and building up his strength.

"He probably won't start hitting for at least a few days because he wants to get his legs under him and doesn't want to get in any bad habits."

Nevertheless, this is an incredibly encouraging sign.

Last season, Howard hit 33 home runs and drove in 116 runs. Over the six complete seasons that he has played in the City of Brotherly Love, he has averaged almost 133 RBI a year.

Even though his batting average is not the greatest and he strikes out far too much, no one can deny that he's one of the best run producers in baseball today.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been struggling to produce any offense this season, so his return will be especially vital. In fact, only the Miami Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates had scored fewer runs than Philadelphia in all of Major League Baseball.

Howard is not expected to be back in Philadelphia for quite a while yet, and Amaro would not even commit to a timeline, but progress is definitely a good thing and a sign of encouragement for a team that is underachieving at the moment.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Signing Brandon Inge Would Be a Good Investment

It is no secret the Philadelphia Phillies need all the offense they can get, and an interesting option has just presented itself.

As many of you may have heard, Brandon Inge was released by the Detroit Tigers. He should now be brought to Philadelphia to try to add a spark to a stagnant offense.

However, Inge is a 34-year-old utility man who had a very difficult 2011. He only hit .197 with three home runs and 23 RBI in 102 games. Why would the Phillies even care about someone who ended up on the wrong side of the Mendoza line last season?

Quite frankly, the contract price is not going to be very high because of that difficult 2011 and his slow start this season. Inge does not have a lot to bargain with.

He does have a lot to offer his new team, though. If you consider his entire career, he has averaged 16 home runs per 162 games and has hit 27 home runs in two different seasons, so he has shown he has the potential to rise above this average.

The Phillies will be able to acquire Inge and his potential at probably the lowest value of his career given his recent struggles. Therefore, they need to consider this signing like an investment. There is a high potential reward to signing him. Paying a low price for a stock that is quite possibly going to rise is almost always considered a very good investment because you normally have to pay a lot for that strong return.

The Philadelphia Phillies need a spark in their offense that will not cost very much but will help drive in the runs until Ryan Howard and Chase Utley make their returns. Brandon Inge would be a great choice to fill that gap.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: The Left Field Position Battle

The Philadelphia Phillies have an interesting position battle developing in left field. Juan Pierre has had an amazing spring training and has started in left field frequently. On the other hand, John Mayberry Jr. busted out in 2011 and should hopefully continue to improve and develop into an even stronger power hitter.

According to a report by Jay Greenberg on Phillies.com, Charlie Manuel seems to be favoring Mayberry as the eventual everyday left fielder. However, Pierre should receive substantial playing time as well right off the bat. Manuel told Greenberg:

"He [Mayberry] may not be an everyday starter starting out, but he's going to play a lot and he'll be given every chance in the world to be an everyday player."

The reason this is such an interesting battle, however, is because both of these players are talented, but they definitely bring different offerings to the table.

Last season, Mayberry demonstrated some major power as he hit 15 home runs in 267 at-bats. Also, he had a pretty decent .273 batting average with eight stolen bases. Power will be at a premium for the Philadelphia Phillies given the absences of Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Mayberry has a decent all-around set of tools highlighted by his power.

On the other hand, Pierre is all about speed. In his career, he has stolen 554 stolen bases. His batting average normally hovers around .280 and he puts the ball in play. He barely draws any walks, but he also barely strikes out. Overall, he has had a strong major league career, and he will add an element of speed alongside Shane Victorino and Jimmy Rollins.

Therefore, even though it does appear that Mayberry has the upper hand in this battle, the Phillies have two strong yet different options. This might be valuable and allows for some flexibility that many other teams might not have.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley Will Return, but What Happens Until Then?

Chase Utley is such a competitive player that his injury must be extraordinarily disappointing to him. However, he is anticipating a return this season according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN which must be a welcome message to all Phillies fans. While most people pretty much assumed that, it is still nice to hear from him.

However, what is going to happen up until then? How much different are the Phillies going to look?

There'll be some major differences in a lineup that has grown accustomed to seeing Utley hitting third and run-producing first baseman Ryan Howard in the cleanup spot. The Ryan Howard spot has already been somewhat filled through the acquisition of Jim Thome, but there is a little more debate around how second base will be handled.

Freddy Galvis is certainly an interesting option. He split his time between AA and AAA last season with a pretty decent level of success. Combined, he hit .278 with eight home runs, 43 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. He is definitely a different player than Chase Utley, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is wrong or a bad fit. They could trade for another second baseman, but it seems as if Galvis has the job.

Of course, what will that mean for the Phillies lineup? Could Hunter Pence hit third in the lineup?

That is definitely possible, but they also could hit Shane Victorino third and Pence fourth. That way, the lineup could be Rollins at his traditional leadoff position with Polanco second followed by Victorino and Pence.

While it doesn't quite look the same as Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, there is still quite a bit of talent there. The team should still be able to get on base and produce runs. With the pitching staff they have, they really won't need that many to begin with, but it seems like they should be able to get their share.

 

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Philadelphia Phillies: Could They Go After Utility Man Blake DeWitt?

When Ruben Amaro Jr. announced that Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley starting the season at second base is "doubtful," I could almost hear the collective groan rising from Phillies nation.

Power-hitting first baseman Ryan Howard will already be missing substantial time from his traditional fourth spot in the lineup, and now the Phillies will be missing their third hitter as well. They will be missing a very large part of their offense, and that is definitely not good for a team that has been searching for infield depth all spring.

Finding that infield depth has now become a more important priority. According to Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago, utility infielder Blake DeWitt "has come up in recent trade rumors." While he doesn't specifically mention the Philadelphia Phillies in this article, it is not very difficult to see how DeWitt would fit with the Phillies.

Last season, DeWitt hit .265 with five home runs, 26 RBI and one stolen base in 121 games. While that might not sound like very much in so many games, he only collected 243 plate appearances, so lower numbers are not necessarily surprising. However, even though his offense would be an upgrade over Michael Martinez, he would appeal to the Phillies mainly because he can play either second or third base.

Obviously, the Phillies need second base support right now, but with the somewhat injury-prone Placido Polanco at the hot corner, Dewitt might eventually be needed there.

This could be an interesting fit for the Phillies. Keep paying attention to this story to see if it develops further.

 

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Ryan Howard: Philadelphia Phillies 1B Takes First Batting Practice

Ryan Howard took his first batting practice since rupturing his Achilles tendon on the final out of the final game of the 2011 playoffs, according to Jim Salisbury of Comcast Sports Network. Of course, he is still quite far away from actually picking up a bat in a real game, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

However, what will happen to the Phillies lineup without Howard in the middle of it? He has protected Chase Utley in the lineup for the past several years, and while some people have been disappointed by his performance, he has still not hit below 30 home runs in a full season or driven in fewer than 100 runs. He does strike out far too much, but he still has been a presence in the middle of the Phillies lineup.

How will the Phillies fill that gap? They seem to have an interesting type of platoon situation that will probably develop. After bringing in right-handed Ty Wigginton and left-handed Jim Thome this past winter, it seems as if that is how first base will play out.

This could be changed, however, with a very strong spring from Domonic Brown. If he is able to prove that he deserves playing time in left field, John Mayberry Jr. could also factor into that first base platoon. He played there a little bit last season, and he was definitely a serviceable option.

While the Phillies wait for Howard to return, first base will probably not be quite as productive. However, these options definitely should be solid and provide the Phillies' lineup with enough support to stay competitive until he is able to pick up a bat in an actual game.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Domonic Brown Most Likely Begins 2012 in Triple-A

When will Domonic Brown finally land in Philadelphia to stay? Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jim Bowden of ESPN that John Mayberry Jr. and Laynce Nix will most likely start the year as the left field platoon.

In Bowden's words, "Unless Dominic Brown really wows them in ST [Spring Training]... he goes to AAA."

Phillies fans have to be wondering how much longer this will go on. Last year, Domonic Brown was thought to be the answer to the departure of free agent Jayson Werth. However, that didn't quite end up as the Phillies planned or hoped.

Brown ended up appearing in only 56 games and hit just .245 with five home runs and 19 RBI. Eventually, because of this lack of production as well as the acquisition of Hunter Pence, Brown was sent down to AAA to learn how to play left field and prepare for 2012.

However, that didn't work as well as the Phillies had planned it either. In 41 games at Lehigh Valley, Brown only managed to hit .261 with three home runs and 15 RBI. According to Todd Zolecki of Phillies.com, Brown's confidence was shaken by his difficult stretch. Losing confidence is never healthy for anyone.

Of course, Brown hadn't been having a lot of success and he also was trying to learn that new position, but he also did not quite develop into the left fielder that the Phillies were expecting for 2012 either.

What this doesn't mean is that Brown is necessarily a bust. He has the tools to put it together again.

However, this news definitely does mean that the Phillies are going to be patient. They are not trying to rush Brown and are not putting much pressure on him to instantly be a contributing piece at the Major League level. Perhaps this will be a more successful approach.

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Philadelphia Phillies: Could Brad Lidge Be Returning?

The Philadelphia Phillies already added Jonathan Papelbon to the bullpen this winter as the team's new closer. With that move in the rear-view mirror, what might be coming next?

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, it is possible that Brad Lidge will be back in the City of Brotherly Love next season.

Would this be a good thing?

Although Lidge spent a significant part of last year on the disabled list, he was effective when he finally returned. He appeared in 25 games and posted a 1.40 ERA with eight holds.

Lidge's control seemed to be a little bit off as he issued 13 walks in 19.1 innings. However, part of that might simply be that he was getting rid of the rust that accumulated while he was recovering. That should be expected immediately after a pitcher returns to the mound.

The encouraging part of Lidge's control struggles is that even though he was allowing runners on base, he wasn't allowing them to cross the plate. At times, composure had been a struggle for him, so it is incredibly important to note that he wasn't being overwhelmed by the prospect of having runners on base.

With a solid winter and spring, the rust should finally be off for Lidge. Even though he would definitely not be the closer, he is more than capable of being a productive member of the Phillies bullpen.

The Phillies are again hoping to make a run at the World Series. There are many ways to go about building a successful team, but one solid way to do that is by bringing in pitchers who have been there and had success. Phillies fans might recall some of Lidge's previous success in the World Series ...

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Philadelphia Phillies: Predicting the Top 6 Performers for 2012

The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies look strangely similar to the 2011 version. All of the biggest contributors to the team's success will be back in the City of Brotherly Love for at least another season.

Of course, this logically leads to the question as to whether or not the same top performers will have equally productive seasons. That's what I'm trying to address today.

Here are my statistical projections for each of the top-six players on the Philadelphia Phillies. This is kind of a power ranking because the top five are in order, but I am also predicting each of their individual stat lines.

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MLB Philadelphia Phillies: Grading the Top 6 Moves of the Offseason so Far

The offseason is not over yet, but the Philadelphia Phillies have been relatively active already. This really shouldn't come as much of a surprise, because the Phillies always seem to be pretty busy.

However, activity doesn't always mean success. Therefore, let's take a look at the six biggest moves of the offseason for the Phillies so far and give each one a grade.

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