PHOENIX Phillies rightfielder Hunter Pence will have an MRI on his ailing left shoulder Tuesday in Phoenix, general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced.

Pence injured the shoulder while diving for a ball in San Diego on Sunday. He missed Monday nights game, a 9-5 loss to Arizona. With Pence out of the lineup, the Phillies are missing their No. 3, 4 and 5 hitters Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pence.

The Phillies say they hope to have results of Pences MRI before Tuesday nights game.

Amaro also offered an update on Howards condition Tuesday. The slugger was examined by a wound specialist in Philadelphia on Monday. According to Amaro, the wound on the back of Howards left ankle is getting smaller, but doctors want to give it another week of healing before determining whether he can increase baseball activities.

We hope that he will be able to restart his baseball activities thereafter, Amaro said.

Howard had a torn Achilles tendon surgically repaired in October. In February, he developed an infection after a surgical suture did not dissolve properly. Doctors performed a procedure to clean out the infection on Feb. 27. They dug deeply into the area around Howards Achilles and it has taken time for the wound to heal. Amaro has said that once Howard is cleared to resume baseball activities the club could be aggressive with his rehab because the Achilles has healed.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com