Phillies notes: Gload has hip tear; Utley gets day off

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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Posted: 3:22 p.m.Updated: 8:28 p.m.

By John R. Finger
CSNPhilly.com

Not only do the Phillies lead with 29 wins, but they very well could lead the way with injuries and time spent in the training room. Every day it seems as if there is a new injury or nagging ache or pain to report on and Wednesday was no different.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said before Wednesdays game that pinch hitter Ross Gload had a tear in his hip and would be out for a couple of days. The GM said there are no plans to put Gload on the disabled list for the injury now and will test out the hip in a couple of days.

Gload would have been a suitable pinch hitter in the ninth inning of Tuesday nights 6-3 loss to the Reds, but manager Charlie Manuel said the lefty slugger was unavailable immediately after the game. The injury came on May 19 when Gload started in rightfield against the Rockies at the Bank, according to Manuel. However, Gload pinch hit May 22 and 23 despite the injury.

It's not necessarily minor. He's got a labral issue. But we're going to try to manage through it, Amaro said. I think it's one of those injuries, no dissimilar to Chase's (Utley) in that he's got a tear in there, and he's either going to play it out and manage it. He'll probably play as much as he can, tolerate it as much as he can.

Gload has appeared in 27 games this season with three starts. Hes batted 10 for 34 with four RBIs, but no extra-base hits.

Contreras close
Meanwhile, reliever Jose Contreras is nearing a return from the disabled list, Manuel and Amaro confirmed. The big righthander pitched two innings in a rehab outing for Triple A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday morning, allowing a pair of hits and no runs. Contreras also pitched a scoreless inning for Double A Reading last weekend.

Contreras likely will be activated before the team heads to New York to face the Mets this weekend.

Though he started the season as the teams closer and saved five straight games until hurting his elbow, Manuel says Ryan Madson will remain the teams closer. Madson has saved nine straight games and is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA. In save situations, Madson has 12 strikeouts in 11 innings and has not allowed a run.

Additionally, starter Joe Blanton visited with renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. on Wednesday to learn the extent of his right elbow injury. According to a team spokesman, Andrews' diagnosis is the same as team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti. That means Blanton will be out for at least a month and will begin a throwing program in three to four weeks.

Day off for Utley
Chase Utley was not in the lineup for Wednesday's game after playing in his first two games of the season on Monday and Tuesday. Utley is 1 for 9 in two games since returning from a knee injury.

Manuel said he rested Utley because the team is facing tough lefty Travis Wood, but likely would be back in the lineup on Thursday afternoon in the finale of the nine-game homestand.

Wilson Valdez got the start at second base.

Wood is only 3-3 this season with a 5.17 ERA but carried a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Phils last season before giving up a double to Carlos Ruiz. In the NLDS, he threw 3 13 innings of scoreless relief in Game 2.

Additionally, lefty hitter Dom Brown got the night off, too. However, Manuel says Brown will get a chance to face some lefties very soon.

As we go along hell be facing some lefties. We want to work him in, Manuel said. Hes going to get a chance to play. I look at this as him getting a chance to play, but we want to see something. I want to win the game, first of all, but these games count. I want to see something.

Brown is 1 for 10 with a double and two walks in three games since his arrival this week. In 11 games for Triple A Lehigh Valley he was 14 for 41 (.341) with two homers and a two doubles.

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

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