Phils Notes: Hitting woes persist; surgery for Brown

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Monday, March 7, 2011
Posted: 5:08 p.m.
By John R. FingerCSNPhilly.com

TAMPA, Fla.The Phillies did not get their first hit in Mondays game until there were two outs in the sixth inning. To break up the no-hitter (and shutout), second baseman Wilson Valdez clubbed a homer to left off Hector Noesi.

Otherwise, it was another low-scoring outing from the Phillies, in which the club mustered just five hits, had just two runners in scoring position and got just one walk to go with six strikeouts. Of those six whiffs, Ryan Howard collected two in three at-bats.

Of course, Charlie Manuels lineup has a few holes in it. Chase Utley was back in Clearwater resting his sore knee after receiving a cortisone shot last Friday for tendonitis and Dom Brown was in Philadelphia preparing to have surgery on a broken hamate bone in his wrist.

Plus, Jayson Werth is across the state in camp with the Washington Nationals, so Manuel can only work with the hitters he has, even though they seem to be picking up right where they left off at the end of last season. In fact, in their first 11 Grapefruit League games, the Phillies have scored three or fewer runs six times.

Sure, its early and hitters are still working to regain their timing, but that has not kept Manuel from playing around with his batting order. For Mondays game against the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field, Manuel had Shane Victorino leadoff and Jimmy Rollins in the No. 3 hole.

Ill keep on playin some more. Its intriguing at times so Ill keep playing until I find something, said Manuel, admitting that he might have to get even more creative with his lineups.
Utley (non)update
The Phillies had no new news on Utleys injured knee, now called patellar tendinitis after an MRI last week. Manuel doesnt expect to hear anything else for a few more days, optimistically remaining hopeful that some rest will knock out the inflammation.

Probably by the end of the week well know whats up, Manuel said. I think well be OK there.

Optimism ruled the day in regard to Utley.

I think hell be fine, Roy Oswalt said. Its spring training so I dont think they want to put him out there every day. I dont think it will be a problem.

In subbing for Utley, utility infielder (and now an extra outfielder, too), Wilson Valdez is batting .529 in 17 at-bats with a double and homer. Offseason pickup Pete Orr also played second base on Monday and belted his second double of the spring in his lone plate appearance.

Surgery for Brown
As was expected, rightfielder Dom Brown will undergo surgery on his right wrist to repair the broken hamate bone. Brown suffered the injury after fouling off a pitch last Saturday.

Brown should miss four-to-six weeks.

The spring had been a struggle for Brown to that point, too. Moments after he broke his hamate bone, Brown singled for his first hit in Grapefruit League action to finish 1-for-16 in exhibition play.

Coincidentally, the injury to Brown is the same one that plagued ex-Phillies third baseman Dave Hollins. The difference is Hollins had surgery on hamate bones in both wrists. Even more coincidentally, Ben Francisco, the likely starter in rightfield with Brown on the shelf, also had surgery on his hamate. All-Star Troy Tulowitzki of Colorado also had the procedure done last season.

Most baseball players recover from hamate surgery quickly and fully.

Better yet, the injury could prove to be -- ahem -- just what the doctor ordered for Brown. Struggling at the plate with a retooled batting stanceswing, Brown can recover properly after surgery and work on his swing in the minors before rejoining the Phillies. After all, Manuel said he had hoped to get Brown 90-to-100 at-bats this spring before heading north, so it stands to reason that the lefty prospect can get those ABs in extended spring, Reading or Lehigh Valley first.

E-mail John R. Finger at jrfinger@comcastsportsnet.com

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