newjerseynewsroom.com

BY DAVE RAGAZZO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

It’s been a tough season for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have been fighting significant injuries even before the season started.

Sunday however, things got worse for the team who learned that starting pitcher Roy Halladay has an injury that could sideline him for some time.

Halladay left Sunday’s 8-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals with shoulder soreness. The Phillies have already had to deal with injuries to their two best hitters Ryan Howard and Chase Utley who have not played a game at all this season. Vance Worley, another one of the Phillies starters, has also been out of the rotation with inflammation in his elbow.

After Sunday’s game, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel downplayed the Halladay injury. If Halladay is to miss significant time though, it is no question that those will be some big shoes to fill.

"If we ever have to fill a rotation spot, we’ll get somebody and fill it," Manuel said according to the Boston Herald. “The game is going to go on.”

In hopes that Worley could return in time for Halladay’s next scheduled start on Saturday, Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock shot down those hopes very quickly.

"He (Worley) hasn’t even thrown a bullpen yet," Proefrock said.

To replace Halladay, the Phillies will have to go to their farm system where they have a few options. Veterens Scott Elarton and Dave Bush are having very good seasons with the Phillies triple-A affiliate the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Elarton is 5-1 with a 2.98 ERA while Bush is 4-3 with a 2.73 ERA).

The Phillies also may consider Tyler Cloyd, who is one of their top pitching prospects and is currently having a solid season pitching at both double and triple-A. He is 7-1 with a 2.01 ERA on the season between both leagues including a 4-1 record and a 2.15 ERA at Lehigh Valley.

Meanwhile, Utley says he has been making progress as he continues to battle knee soreness that hasn’t allowed him to play at all this season.