Worley could return to Phillies on Saturday

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Posted: 7:35 p.m.

By Jim Salisbury
CSNPhilly.com

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel wasnt ready to name his starting pitcher for Saturday nights game in Seattle, but when he gets around to it, theres a pretty good chance it will be Vance Worley.

We kind of know what were going to do, Manuel said before Tuesday nights game against Florida. But we havent made a decision yet.

Manuel was focused on getting through a four-games-in-three-days stretch against the Florida Marlins before he named a starter for Saturday.

All signs point to Worley getting the call. The 23-year-old right-hander has pitched well since being sent to Triple A two weeks ago. Worley had developed some rust while bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen in the minors and the majors. That rust appears to be gone now. In three starts at Lehigh Valley, he has allowed just 12 hits and three runs in 19 innings. His strikeouts-to-walks ratio is 21-to-5.

Bringing Worley back could set off some dominoes on the Phillies pitching staff. First of all, the team would have to clear a roster spot. Would the club be willing to release J.C. Romero and go with one left-hander in the bullpen? Or will club officials take a smoother course and simply send right-hander David Herndon back to Triple A? Time will tell.

If Worley pitches well, he could put a lock on the fifth starters job and that would allow the team to put Kyle Kendrick back in a long relief spot in the bullpen. Danys Baez has recently lined up to be the long man. In fact, he took some batting practice Tuesday, just in case he got the opportunity to swing the bat in a multi-inning relief assignment. With a doubleheader Wednesday, Baez could be important in the series against Florida.

Kendrick will start the first game of the doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. He should be able to handle 85 to 90 pitches.

Roy Halladay will pitch the second game of the doubleheader on Wednesday night.

If the Phillies keep their five-man rotation in turn, Halladay would pitch against his former team, the Blue Jays, in Toronto on July 2.

Recovery road
Joe Blanton, on the disabled list with a tender elbow, continues to play catch. He is not ready to throw off a mound and there is no hard timetable for his return, though pitching coach Rich Dubee ruled out the right-handers being ready by the all-star break. A late July or early August return is possible if all goes well.

Brad Lidge, whose recovery from a shoulder injury was sidetracked by the development of elbow inflammation, is slated to play catch on Wednesday. Lidge hopes to be ready in about a month, but there is no definitive timetable on him either.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow him on Twitter @JSalisburyCSN.

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