Reliever Mike Adamswas placed on the disabled list with a right mid-back strain today. The move is retroactive to May 11. To take his place on the Phillies' 25-man roster, catcher Humberto Quintero was called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

That move tells me that Carlos Ruiz will either be out for at least a few days because of his strained right hamstring or may even go on the disabled list. Ruiz left after the second inning of Sunday's game when he hurt it on his way to third base.

Another roster move will have to be made to accommodate Tyler Cloyd, who has been pegged to start Tuesday's game in Miami. Although Cloyd has not be activated yet, he was in Philadelphia on Sunday and flew with the team that night to Florida. That's when Ruiz might be sent to the DL.

Adams is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday.

We also are still waiting for official word about Ruiz's MRI and Ryan Howard's (left knee) MRI. Both had MRIs this morning.

To fill Quintero's spot with the IronPigs, the club promoted catcher Justin Dalles from Class-A Lakewood.

The news that followed about players' health didn't.

Ryan Howard did not play because of a sore left knee. He is having an MRI on Monday.

"Yesterday is when it kicked in more than normal," he said. "It's been acting up since spring training. But I’ve been able to tough my way through it."

Charlie Manuel said Howard was available to pinch hit today, but added that he was trying to stay away from him. And his availability tomorrow is in question.

"I'm kind of leary [about starting him tomorrow]," Manuel said.

Carlos Ruiz, who left after the second inning with a right hamstring strain, is staying in Philadelphia to have an MRI on Monday morning. He said he is flying to Miami on Tuesday.

In case the team decides to put Ruiz on the D.L. right away, they are sending Lehigh Valley catcher Humberto Quintero to Miami to be with the team tomorrow.

"It was a bad feeling because it surprised me when that happened," said Ruiz, who said he felt something pop as he headed from second to third in the second inning. "And it happened like that (he snaps his fingers). "It was the last thing that I expected to happen because I was feeling great."

Mike Adams, who last pitched on May 10, still could land on the disabled list, but the Phillies aren't sure one way or another. He played catch Sunday for the first time in a week.

"Everything felt good," he said of his mild, mid-back strain. "The shoulder felt like s**t. But the back felt great. I feel really good. We'll see how it goes. That's all I can tell you.”

Carlos Ruiz didn’t get that lucky.

The Phillies catcher limped as he headed to third base in the second inning on Freddy Galvis’ single. A trainer and manager Charlie Manuel came out to check on Ruiz, who stayed in the game.

In between innings, though, Ruiz was replaced by backup catcher Erik Kratz.

A little while later, the Phillies announced Ruiz has a strained right hamstring.

Ruiz hasn’t really warmed up this season since being activated from the restricted list. In 15 games, he’s hitting .240 with two doubles and just two RBIs. Last year, he was the Phillies best hitter and appeared in his first All-Star Game.

Ruiz was on the DL each of the last four seasons (2009-2012), but never for a hamstring strain (right oblique strain, concussion, lower back inflammation, plantar fasciitis in left foot).

Expect the Phillies to make a roster move at the end of the game. They’ll likely call up Humberto Quintero fromTriple-A Lehigh Valley. He was with the Phillies for their first 25 games.

If the Phillies find themselves in need of another catcher for today's game, the team's emergency catcher is Kevin Frandsen, who is not in the starting lineup today.

Today he’ll get a new challenge.

With Ryan Howard out of the lineup, Young is starting at first base, a position he hasn’t played since he started a regular-season game there for the Rangers on Sept. 28, 2012.

Young didn’t get any action at first base during spring training, nor has he played there at all when the team takes infield before batting practice.

“I put [my first baseman's glove] on my hand and bang my fist in it, but that’s pretty much the most action it’s seen,” he said.

Young, who has played 77 games at first base in his career and owns a .993 fielding percentage there, found out this morning he’d shift across the diamond just before the lineup was posted.

“He doesn’t need to give me a head’s up,” Young said. “He ran it by me and I had no problem with it. I love to play. I feel like I’m prepared. I’m ready. If anything, I look forward to it. I look forward to new challenges.”The Phillies face Homer Bailey today. Last time they faced him (April 16), Bailey threw eight-shutout innings. He allowed only two hits, struck out 10 and didn’t walk anyone.

Today’s starting lineup is an interesting one. Here it is:

--SS Rollins, CF Revere, 1B M. Young, 2B Utley, LF Brown, RF Nix, C Ruiz, 3B Galvis, P Pettibone.

As you can see Delmon Youngis not in the starting lineup. He’s 2-for-15 (.133) in his last four games. Even though the Phillies are facing a righty, Howard is not in the lineup. In his last seven games, he’s hitting .149 (7-for-47) with 20 strikeouts, three walks, two extra base hits and only four RBIs.

Tyler Cloydwill be recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley for Tuesday's game; the Phillies have not announced a corresponding roster move yet.

I'd guess they will put reliever Mike Adams, who on Friday was diagnosed with a mild, mid-back strain, on the DL, which would be retroactive to last Sunday. He hasn't pitched since Saturday, May 11.

“I don't know where he is going to play, not right now,” GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “… we have to be fairly patient. Everybody wants to make moves today. We can still be somewhat patient.”

Many people complain about Ryan Howard’s strikeouts. I get the frustration. He entered play on Saturday tied for the fifth-most strikeouts in the N.L. (46 in 147 at-bats).

But Ruf’s really no better in that department. His 44 strikeouts (also in 147 at-bats) are tied for sixth-most in the International League.

One of the biggest differences, stat-wise, is their on-base percentage. Howard’s sits at .283 (he’s walked only nine times). Ruf’s isn’t great, but it is a much more respectable .351 (he’s walked 17 times).

Keep in mind: While Howard has had his struggles, he does have proven success in the big leagues. Ruf doesn’t. He has appeared in only 12 major league games. Plus, do you really think the team is ready to bench the 33-year-old Howard, who is in the middle of a five-year, $125 million contract?

“He's getting a little bit better,” Amaro said of Ruf. “He's improving. He had a slow start and he got hot for a while. He's cooled off a little bit now. He's on the radar screen.”

I agree that at some point he should be called up. But I’m actually with Amaro on this one. This isn’t the time for Ruf right now.

Adams’ MRI today showed that he has what general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. called a “very mild, mid-back strain.” He had no structural damage and no swelling and is listed as day-to-day.

“I have a lot of incentives to not go on the DL, as far as contract reasons, which I don’t want to,” Adams said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to make this any worse than it is. We’ll see what happens.”

Adams last pitched on Saturday, so if the team does decide to put him on the disabled list, which it might considering the Phillies need a starting pitcher for Tuesday’s game Miami, his DL stint can be backdated to Sunday.

“It kind of hurts a little bit to know I’m not out there helping,” Adams said. “At the same time, I don’t want to go out there and hurt the team. I don’t want to be that guy that tries to be in a hurry and we’re up by one run and all of a sudden I can’t do my job and now we’re down by three and I cost our team a win.”

BULLPEN SWITCH-A-ROO

With the Phillies still trying to find the right mix in the bullpen, they optioned Raul Valdes to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and called up B.J. Rosenberg.

“We’re going to see if he’s better than Valdes,” Amaro said. “It’s pretty simple. Our middle relievers have not been very good, so we’re going to see if Rosey can come in [and perform]. His last time he threw (Sunday vs. Durham) he threw pretty good (seven shutout innings) and he’s stretched out so he can go long. So, we’ll see.”

Rosenberg owns a 10 1/3 scoreless-innings streak with the Phillies, dating back to Sept. 4 of last year.

With the IronPigs, he appeared in seven games, all starts. He held opponents to a .167 batting average with RISP.

DINGERS: Amaro said John Lannanis supposed to throw a bullpen either Monday or Tuesday. “). He’s closer, but he’s not close [to returning],” Amaro said. … Carlos Zambrano, signed to a minor league deal on Wednesday, is pitching two innings in extended spring training Saturday. “He’ll go every five days, get him stretched out,” Amaro said. “He’ll throw no more than 30 or 40 pitches tomorrow, then probably no more than 50 the following time, then see how he progresses.”

“Roy had successful shoulder surgery yesterday. He had an arthroscopic evaluation and underwent debridement of his labrum and rotator cuff as well as removal of an inflamed bursa.

"He'll begin a progressive rehabilitation program and if all goes well, he may possibly begin a throwing program in 6-8 weeks.”

Let's break this down as best as possible.

1. My understanding is that debridement means that the edges were cleaned.

2. The fact that he had an inflamed bursa is hardly a surprise.

3. Note the words "may possibly." This is key. This does not mean Halladay will be on a mound in 6-8 weeks. It doesn't even mean he WILL be throwing in 6-8 weeks. It simply means he MIGHT just be playing catch in 6-8 weeks. Then he has to stretch from say 40 feet, to 60 feet, to 90 feet, etc. It would likely take him several weeks beyond that to get on a mound. And then he has to continue to build up arm strength. This is a guy who is used to being able to throw 110-120 pitches. It takes time to be able to do that. Again, I think there is still a chance he's not back this year. But if he is, I'd be surprised if it were before September. We should know more later after team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti addresses the media.

The reliever said he felt "horrible" on Tuesday after his back acted up more than it had been just when he was playing catch from 60 feet. He had what he called a trigger injection yesterday with the hopes it would help his muscles relax.

"I don’t think it was nothing crazy," Adams said after the Phillies lost 10-4 to the Indians on Wednesday.  "It wasn’t like I was throwing out there. Hopefully, it just a bad muscle spasm and we can get it to release and get better."

If he feels like he's regressing Thursday, Adams said he may ask to have an MRI.

"Just so I have a better idea of what’s going on and what the timetable may be about the severity of what’s going on," the Phillies set-up man said.

Adams, who originally felt the pain while shagging fly balls on Sunday, said he couldn't totally rule out a DL trip that would be backdated. He's 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 17 games (15 IP). He's allowed 14 hits, including three home runs. He has walked six and struck out 19.

Adams last pitched on Friday in Arizona.

The Phillies signed right-hander Carlos Zambrano to a minor league deal on Wednesday with the hope he might be able to fill the void left by Roy Halladay, who was scheduled for shoulder surgery today in Los Angeles.

Zambrano will report to extended spring training in Clearwater, Fla., by the end of the week when he will start throwing bullpens.

“I don’t know if it’s gonna work out but people laughed when they saw his name resurface last week dude can still pinch!” former pitcher Cliff Floyd said to me on Twitter (he and Zambrano played together in 2007 for the Cubs.

Zambrano, who turns 32 on June 1, has solid career numbers overall, but usually has the spotlight on him for other reasons. The native of Venezuela has had multiple dugout blowups, including one in July 2010 with Derrek Lee. The end result was then-Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella sending Zambrano, who was that day’s starting pitcher, home before the game was over. Zambrano was later suspended indefinitely by the Cubs.

Proefrock explained the signing by saying the team wanted to add some addition starting pitching depth, and after seeing him throw on Monday, the Phillies decided to make him an offer.

“Would we have done this without Roy? I can’t say we wouldn’t have because we’ve talked about it with other guys in that situation to add some depth and experience in Triple-A,” Proefrock said. “It was not the ideal set of circumstances to call Jonathan Pettibone up like we did. But we were under circumstances where we had limited options and we felt that he was the best option we had and he’s performed pretty well up until this point.”

Zambrano, who’s 132-91 with a career ERA of 3.66 in 12 big league seasons, pitched for Miami last year where he was 7-10 with a 4.49 ERA. This winter he played in the Venezuelan Winter League and then in the World Baseball Classic.

Proefrock downplayed the issues and temper tantrums Zambrano had in the past and emphasized that with it being a minor league deal, the team doesn’t have a lot of money invested in him as the Cubs did when they signed him to a five-year, $91.5 million contract in 2007.

“George Velandia, one of our instructors in the minor leagues, was a GM with that club and had some interaction with him,” Proefrock said. “We got positive feedback with everyone who has interacted with him recently. I don’t anticipate any issues because from our perspective the guy is committed to working hard and getting back to the major leagues. If that’s going to be an issue then …”

Zambrano is a three-time All-Star who led the N.L. in wins in 2006 with 16.  He hasn’t had an ERA below 4.00 since 2010.

Proefrock said the Phillies kicked around the idea of signing Zambrano in the offseason, but once they signed John Lannan to a big league deal, it became obvious it would be difficult to get Zambrano to agree to a minor league deal because his chance of actually making the 25-man roster weren't good.

I absolutely think he should give it a try.

“I’ve kind of thought about playing him [in center fielder], seeing how he could do,” Manuel said.

Although Ben Revere has upped his season batting average by 33 points (to .237) since May 1, he’s not enough of a consistent threat offensively. Manuel knows that. That’s why he’s bumped Revere down in the batting order and given him more days off here and there.

Manuel pointed to Revere’s speed and his threat to steal bases as positives (he is tied for seventh in the league with seven SBs), but the problem is you’ve got to be on base to steal bases, and Revere has struggled with that. He has an on-base percentage of just .286, which ranks third-worst among NL center fielders.

 And while Revere covers a lot of ground in the outfield because of his quickness, he doesn’t always make the best reads on balls and he has a below average arm.

So combined Revere’s less than stellar play so far and Galvis’ athleticism --- look at easily he made the transition to second base last year and how smooth he’s been in his limited time in left field --- and I think throwing Galvis out there is a no-brainer. Galvis has a strong arm and his natural baseball smarts will allow him to settle in out there more easily than most people.

“He’s got to definitely get some at-bats and play some this year,” Manuel said. “I said that from the start. I think he’s very capable of doing that and he’s at that point in his career where he pretty much shows you how good he can play.”

Heading into Tuesday’s game, Galvis was 14-for-50 (.280) with three doubles, two home runs and five RBIs. He has more extra-base hits than Revere and the same number of RBIs despite Revere having played in 34 games to Galvis’ 20.

 WHEN TO LOOK FOR LANNAN?

Manuel said he’s not expecting John Lannan back for the Boston series (the Phils play two there on May 27-28 and then host the Red Sox for two on May 29-30.

“That would maybe be a reach,” Manuel said. “I’d say a little bit after that.”

He added that he expects the Phillies will need an additional starter for one or two games before Lannan returns. With Sunday’s off day and Thursday’s day off, the Phillies don’t need a fifth starter until May 21 when they play in Miami.

JUST A DAY OFF?

Manuel insisted that Chase Utley wasn’t into Tuesday’s lineup because he was simply giving him the day off. Interesting considering the Phillies were off Monday and are off again on Thursday.

“Figured today would be good for Ut,” Manuel said. “Got to monitor him and get him off his feet. I know that he worked out and I know how hard he did it, that definitely plays into to. I think if he gets to play 140-142 [games] whatever, and with the off days we have, I think that would be very passable.

DINGERS: Manuel would not say before the game whether or not Mike Adams would be available. Adams told reporters on Sunday he was having back spasms. ... The Phillies' last 14 home runs have all been solo shots. They haven't hit a home run that wasn't a solo homer since April 27. ... The Phils have won each of their last eight games in which they have scored four runs or more and are 13-4 overall in those games. When they score three runs or fewer, they're just 5-17. ... According to Elias Sports Bureau, Ryan Howard drove in the game-winning run in the 10th inning on Sunday, making it the 13th time in his career that he had an extra-inning, go-ahead RBI. The only active players with more are former Phillies Raul Ibanez (16) and Placido Polanco (15). Adam Jones and Albert Pujols both have 13.

Comparing the Phillies' overall numbers through 39 games this year (the Phils are 18-21) and 39 games last year (they were 20-19) don't tell the story of a team making progress.

Making matters worse? The Phillies were without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley a year ago. Those two are playing full-time this year, and the offense's numbers are still worse in nearly every major category. Their team batting average is down almost 20 points, they've scored 21 fewer runs and have grounded into double plays seven more times.

As for the pitchers' numbers, those aren't quite as lopsided, but in most cases, those too, are down from a season ago. For example, Phillies pitchers have allowed 12 more home runs in 8 2/3 fewer innings pitched and have walked 23 more batters.

HITTING

            2012    2013

BA        .263    .244

RS        159    138

BB        93       103

OBP    .313    .301

OPS    .701    .678

2B        65        62

3B        6            6

HR        31        32

GIDP    27        34

PITCHING

            2012    2013

IP        351.1    342.0

H        328        315

R        151        163

ER        137      156

BB        92        115

SO        306        284

HR        32          44

HBP        11        13

ERA        3.51    4.11

2B            71        65

3B            11        8

CG            1        2

What we don't know is how the team, and Halladay, will proceed. He is scheduled to address the media at AT&T Park at 2 p.m. (East Coast Time).

Surely, there are lots of opinions floating around out there about the approach Halladay would take IF it's a serious or complete tear of his rotator cuff or labrum. There's not doubt that if Halladay wants to keep pitching, he'd have to have surgery.

But that's the real question. Will Halladay, a two-time Cy Young award winner who has the most wins of any pitcher from 2002-12, opt for surgery with the hopes he could return to the mound one day? Or would he consider calling it a career?

I could see where people would say there's no doubt Halladay would choose surgery and want to keep pitching. 

Halladay, who has more shutouts and complete games from 2002-12 than any pitcher in MLB, is the ultimate competitor. He takes pride in going deep into games. He's works harder than almost any player in the game. And he's willing to make adjustments and alter his routine to remain competitive.

If Halladay has to have invasive surgery like that, I just can't see him getting results afterward that are comparable to the pre-injured version of himself. That prediction has nothing to do with his work ethic. It has nothing to do with his inner drive. It comes down to age and history.

Halladay turns 36 next week and has thrown a combined 3,368 2/3 innings in the minor and major leagues combined. There's only so much one person can do after throwing that much and having major shoulder surgery.

And the history part comes in with how other pitchers who have had torn labrums and/or torn rotator cuffs that have required surgery have fared. The numbers are much more skewed toward things not going well after the surgery than for those who returned to form or were better.

I don't have a complete list (that's nearly impossible), but a quick look at the careers of Mark Prior and Mark Mulder, both of who had surgery for labrum and rotator cuff injuries, is not good. Prior never pitched again in the big leagues. Mulder had his surgery at the age of 27. He had to retire at 30. Chad Cordero's labrum surgery allowed him to pitch in only nine games after surgery. Robb Nenn never pitched again, neither did Mike Sirotka. Erik Bedard, Ben Sheets and Brandon Webb were never the same pitchers. Michael Pineda, diagnosed last April with a torn labrum, still hasn't returned. There are, of course, others.

There are success stories, namely Roger Clemens, Chris Carpenter and Curt Schilling. But keep in mind, those guys were much younger when they went under the knife for their labrum tears. Clemens was 23; Schilling was 28; Carpenter was 27 and 28 for his.

I could envision a scenario in which Halladay would realize he won't be able to compete like he used to, and for a guy who has been perfect (remember that May 29, 2010, outing against the Marlins?) and spent most of his career dazzling fans with his performances and keeping hitters off balance with his famed cutter, calling it a career isn't that far-fetched, is it?

I don't think so.

Then again, this guy might be as determined as ever and come back and dazzle us all for a few more years after surgery.

Or, he could be back pitching this year and not need surgery.

We'll find out in just more than one hour.

"I think after last year when he was reluctant to let us know how he was feeling, I think he understands the importance of that," Amaro told a group of us on April 9 when I asked him if he thought Halladay would have trouble admitting to pain. "If he had pain, if he had discomfort, he wouldn’t be pitching."

All the reports coming out of Philadelphia today tell the story of a player who kept his right shoulder discomfort to himself ...  again. And I can't imagine the secrecy made Amaro very happy.

Halladay told reporters in a statement after today's 14-2 loss to the Miami Marlins that he felt soreness on April 25, the morning after his start against Cleveland on April 24. He said he is getting it checked out and will have tests sometime in the next couple of days.

It's believed that Halladay is making the West Coast trip with the club and will be seen by Dr. Lewis Yocum, one of the nation's most well-known orthopaedic surgeons.

Amaro told writers after today's game that he wasn't aware of Halladay's issues until today. He does expect the two-time Cy Young winner will land on the disabled list.

After giving up only one run in 6.0 innings pitched on April 24, Halladay has allowed 17 earned runs in his last two starts (a total of just 6.0 IP).

Halladay's soreness reportedly differs from what accompanied his lat strain last May.

Brace yourself because this could be worse. There is a chance the right-hander could have a partially or completely torn labrum or rotator cuff. At this stage of his career, if either are completely torn, his career will be in jeopardy.

It's been quite some time since Halladay have resembled the man who owns a postseason no-hitter. According to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark, in the last calendar year Halladay has the highest ERA (5.76) of any active pitcher who has thrown as many innings as he has (148.1) in that span.

While it appears Amaro was surprised by today's discovery, I bet manager Charlie Manuel wasn't shocked when he heard today Halladay was hurting.

"I think that [based on] who he is he might be reluctant because he does keep things inside of him," Manuel told us before the Phillies game against the Mets on April 9.  

If Halladay lands on the DL as Amaro is anticipating, a roster move will come in the near future. Halladay's next turn in the rotation comes Friday in Arizona.

Tyler Cloyd and Ethan Martin, both with Triple-A Lehigh Valley right now, are on the 40-man roster. Cloyd made his major league debut last year and so far has a 5.40 ERA in six starts with the IronPigs. Martin, a first-round pick by the Dodgers in 2008, has not pitched beyond the Triple-A Lehigh yet. He throws hard, but has a 7.66 ERA in five starts.

Adam Morgan, who impressed team officials in spring training, pitched today, putting him in line to start Friday. However, he is not on the 40-man roster, and he would have to be added. He has a 3.23 ERA in five starts with the 'Pigs.

Halladay was approached about Williams’ comments stating that the Phillies could benefit from a a new pitching coach, and he said the former Phillies closer was way off base.

“It really does upset me,” Halladay said. “It upsets me that guys outside our group of guys that don’t understand what’s going on here make comments like that. Hopefully it’s something he will learn from. I’m not sure if that’s the case. But it couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Mitch Williams spoke at length this morning to Angelo Cataldi about the Phillies’ inconsistencies, and Williams didn’t hold back. He said Halladay’s issues were easy to see and identify on film and was annoyed that Rich Dubee stopped him from talking to his pitchers during spring training.

 “I see things now, in this pitching staff that as a pitcher you don’t feel, that’s why there’s coaches,” Williams told WIP. “Halladay is struggling—when he was earlier, it was plain as day what was wrong and it wasn’t fixed. You watch things go on—it may be time for a new voice with the pitchers.”

Cataldi asked Williams if he thought the Phillies should find a new pitching coach.

 “I don’t know, but I think they need to,” Williams said to Cataldi. “I really honestly do because as a pitching coach, you can sit and look at that film and not pick that up. If you can’t pick that up, there’s a problem.”

Halladay emphasized the amount of respect he has for Dubee and gave him a huge chunk of credit for getting Kyle Kendrick turned around.

“There’s no one way to do things,” Halladay said. “To think that you know the one way to do it is a little bit arrogant. I think he’s criticized a few guys in the past over their mechanics. It’s something I would never do.”

Dubee spoke to a couple of reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, about Williams’ comments but basically just shrugged them off.

“Maybe I hurt his feelings with the dust up, but I don’t know,” Dubee said. “Mitch has got a chance. He can apply to 30 teams [to be a pitching coach]. You know? I’ve got no comment to that. Maybe he got upset because I spoke to him about getting involved in our pitching, where I don’t think he belongs. Maybe he’s upset at that. But I don’t think other people belong in our pitching. Again, like I said, he’s got a chance to submit a resume.”

• Kyle Kendrick's nine-game winning streak over the Marlins is tied for the second-longest active winning streak against one team in the majors (Roy Halladay's 10-game winning streak over the Orioles is the longest).
• Dom Brown is hitting .387 (12-for-31) with four extra base hits and seven RBIs in his last eight games after batting .206 with three extra-base hits and six RBIs in his first 20 games this season.

"I think he's learning a lot about himself and baseball," manager Charlie Manuel said of Brown. "And he's more receptive to things now."

• Michael Young'sdouble in the first inning was his first extra-base hit since April 10 when he doubled against the Mets (a span of 20 games).
• Ryan Howard has homered three times in his last eight games (31 PA) after hitting just one home run in his first 19 games (78 plate appearances).
• Phillies pitchers (Kendrick, Mike Adams, Jonathan Papelbon) retired the last 12 Marlins they faced.
• Manuel replaced Delmon Young, making his first start in RF since 2007, with Laynce Nix in the top of the eighth inning.

During the third inning of Wednesday’s game in Cleveland, the center fielder reached on a fielder’s choice and tried to steal second base. But his right ring field was partially stepped on and it got swollen this morning. When he arrived in the clubhouse before Thursday’s game, it was taped together with his middle finger.

X-rays, he said, were negative. He thinks he could be back as soon as tomorrow.

“[Mike] Aviles almost kind of stepped on it trying to get the bad throw and just ran right into his foot,” Revere said. “Just need to get the swelling out.”

The injury comes during a time when Revere is really struggling. In his last 11 games, he hit just .150 (6-for-40) with five strikeouts. He has grounded into double plays three times.

“I’ve never been the type who got doubled up a lot in my career,” Revere said. “Now I’m doing it a bunch right now. I know I’m hitting the ball hard, just a bunch right at them. It’s type of deal where that’s just baseball. It’s just gotta find those holes.”

OFFENSE ON THE RISE?

Even though the Phillies scored just two runs in their last two games  and have been shut out four times already this season, Charlie Manuel isn’t losing hope.

Keep in mind, through 28 games last season --- without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard--- this team scored 101 runs. In 28 games this year with Utley and Howard, they’ve scored 100. He thinks that with the group he’s got, this lineup will eventually produce.

“I think we are going to hit better and score more runs,” he said. “I think once we get [Carlos] Ruiz going and Delmon Young, that's going to help us. Our bench will become stronger and we'll have more parts we can shift around. I think we will score more runs.

"Hopefully you won't have to wait any later than 9 or 10 o'clock tonight. Hopefully today. I'd like to see us start at five-after-seven and keep hitting until 2 o'clock in the morning. Score so many runs that even the batting coaches are happy."

KRATZ GETS THE NOD

Erik Kratz is starting today’s game instead of Ruiz. Manuel said Ruiz hadn’t started more than three games in a row during extended spring training and didn’t want to push him. Ruiz started Sunday,  Tuesday and Wednesday. Manuel thinks Ruiz may start Friday, Saturday and Sunday here.

Pitcher Roy Halladay is now 0-for-11 with 11 strikeouts this season, and that might have come into play when he was pulled in the sixth inning.

Halladay, known for his ability to go deep in games (last time out he threw 109 pitches), was pulled for a pitch hitter in the bottom of the sixth despite having allowed just one run on one hit and two walks.

"I think if we have two outs and nobody on, I’m going to hit and go out and pitch the seventh," he said. "I understand why I came out, and it worked (Kevin Frandsen hit a pinch-hit RBI single). Unfortunately, [the lead] didn’t hold up. You always want to go as deep as you can and pitch deep, but when you’re 0-for-11 with 11 strikeouts and they have a man on third with a chance to extend the lead, they aren’t going to let you hit.

“Oh yeah, you’re a competitor. Your priority isn’t to hit, but you want to be able to make contact and make something happen. I’ve spent a lot of time with [Wally Joyner] in the cage, and I think that’s what’s more frustrating than anything. You’re putting in the time and the effort, and do things the way they should be done, and you still aren’t getting the results. I just have to be patient, trust what he’s telling me and try to evolve. I think if I keep on that path I can get to a point where they will let me hit in a situation or bunt in a situation and extend an outing.”

 JUST FOR THE RECORD ...

Chase Utley really hadn't been around to talk to about what happened Sunday when he got doubled off second base. We assumed, and so did Charlie Manuel, that he lost track of the outs and thought there were two outs instead of one, which meant he'd be off on the pitch.

Utley said that wasn't the case.

"I actually read the ball off the bat as a blooper," he said. "I knew there was one out. It was obviously a bad read looking back on it. When he hit it, he hit it off the end of the bat and I felt like it had a good chance of falling and I was going to take the chance that it was going to drop. It didn’t.

"Sometimes you take those chances. But it wasn’t for the lack of not knowing the outs, that’s for sure."

NOTES: Michael Young's14-game hitting streak ended. ... Utley's home run in the first inning was the Phillies' first HR against a lefty this season and it came in the club's 134th at-bat this season. ... Mike Adams was charged with a blown save and a loss. ... Manuel said he thinks Ben Revere (.207 BA) is pressing. Sounds like he will get the day off Thursday.

The Phillies are batting only .182 against left-handed pitchers this year; their left-handed hitters are even worse (.136).

And get this --- the Phillies are one of only two teams in baseball without a home run against a left-handed pitcher (the Twins are the other team; the Braves lead the majors with 14).

In the hopes of trying to do something, anything really, to get this team going against left-handers, manager Charlie Manuel made a change to his lineup. He split up lefties Ryan Howard and Chase Utley with Michael Young (Utley is hitting second, Young is hitting third and Howard is hitting fourth).

“I could see how that could be beneficial for sure,” Utley said.

It’s the second night in a row the Pirates are starting a left-hander. On Tuesday, Jeff Locke threw six scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Tonight, the Phillies are facing Wandy Rodriguez, who enters with a 0.56 ERA (1 ER, 16.0 IP). He’s walked just one and fanned 11.

What could help is the Young, owner of a 14-game hitting streak, is sandwiched between them. He has hit .375 with two doubles, three triples, a home run and five RBIs in his last 16 games.

“I don’t see no sense in having them hit [back-to-back],” Manuel said. “That makes it easier for the other team, for the starter and the reliever.”

NOTES: Phillippe Aumont has no ERA at Citizens Bank Park (13.2 IP). In his 13 games, he’s holding opponents to a .070 batting average (3-for-43). … The Phillies are 4-9 when they score three runs or fewer and are 1-10 when trailing after eight innings.

Not to Dom Brown, though. Brown had faced him in the minors several times and knew the lefty would be attacking the Phillies with fastballs.

The knowledge, and experience, didn’t help. He grounded out on a first-pitch fastball from Locke in the second inning.

“Was throwing a lot of fastballs, getting ahead,” Brown said. “That first at-bat, I was trying to go up there fighting, but swung at a bad pitch. That’s baseball. He was coming right at us. We’ve got to do a better job having good at-bats.”

Charlie Manuel wants that too, but he can’t guarantee anything.

“We’re going to see if they can hit,” Manuel said. “Believe me, I’m pulling for every one of them. But that’s what we’re going to see.

“Once the game gets going, the only thing we can do is say something about how the guy is pitching them. We can do that. But we can’t help them once they step in that batters box.”

AN EXPLANATION FROM MANUEL

If you were frustrated by John Mayberry Jr. running on contact from third base when Ben Revere hit a slow roller (Brown was on second base with nobody out), here’s Manuel’s explanation.

“If he don’t go home, it’s a double play,” Manuel said. “Mayberry is going there (no matter what). That’s like a guy with first and third and nobody out and he hits it back to the mound, he’s going on that.  That’s been – unless you don’t want him to go - he’s been going there as long as baseball has been around. Ever since Abner Doubleday invented the game, he’s been going there.”

When you consider his injury history, that’s expected.

This time, though, there’s no reason to worry.

Charlie Manuel said he was simply giving his second baseman a day to rest. He has started the last seven games (in seven days). The last time the 34-year-old was not in the starting lineup was April 15 in Cincinnati. He ended up pinch hitting that game.

After today, the Phillies play another five games in five days, and he knew he needed to give Utley and his chronically injured knees, a breather.

“I want to make sure that I can get him off his feet every now and then,” Manuel said.

The weather --- it was cold, windy and drizzling during batting practice -- factors into Manuel’s decision as well.

“I kind of worry over that, too,” he said. “You’re more likely to get hurt in cold weather than when it’s warm.”

The break for Utley comes during a stretch when he hasn’t been particularly sharp. On Saturday, he completely misread a routine ground ball that would have gotten the Phillies out of the inning, but instead, the Cardinals scored two runs. Then on Sunday, he lost track of how many outs there were and got doubled off of second base after the Phillies had already scored two runs in the first inning.

Manuel insisted that didn’t play a part in his decision.

“He’ll work over everything,” Manuel said. “Just shut up, let him alone. He’s fine. He’ll get mad at me and work.”

BIDDLE’S OUTING WORTH A FUSS

Jesse Biddle, the Phillies’ top pitching prospect, had baseball fans from Reading to Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley paying attention to him Monday night.

Biddle retired the first 19 batters he faced, striking out 14 of them before losing his perfect game with one out in the seventh when he walked Harrisburg’s Sean Nicol. Three pitches later, Destin Hood singled into left field to break up the no-hitter.

He finished with a career-high 16 strikeouts.

Director of player development Joe Jordan said Biddle’s fastball topped out at 94 mph and regularly hit 91-92. The Phillies’ first-round draft pick in 2010 (27^thoverall) mixed in what Jordan called an above-average curve ball alongside his changeup and slider.

“He’s a pro. He really is,” Jordan said. “It’s just all coming together. It’s strength. It’s knowledge. It’s everything.”

Biddle, 21, ended up allowing one hit and two walks in seven scoreless innings. Of the 104 pitches he threw, 74 were strikes. The lefty’s previous career high in strikeouts was 12. The 16 strikeouts were the most by a Reading pitcher since Adam Walker fanned 13 on May 10, 2001, against Portland.

“He’s got a good look in his eye,” Jordan said.

Don't expect to see him at Citizens Bank Park any time soon. This is his first season in Double-A. Maybe, and I stress maybe, he could be a call-up in September, but I doubt that. The Phillies are known for taking their time bringing up pitchers.

NOTES: Carlos Ruiz began his rehab assignment Tuesday night in Clearwater and will continue there Wednesday. He will travel Thursday and then play with Double-A Reading on Friday and Saturday. ... Delmon Young is scheduled to continue his rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday in Indianapolis. ... In their last 15 games, the bullpen has an ERA of 2.14 (10 ER, 42.0 IP) and is limiting opponents to a .217 batting average. The bullpen began the season with a 10.50 ERA in its first four games.

"The line-ups have probably been the most challenging thing so far for myself, trying to get guys some at-bats, and it’s going to get tougher now that Delmon Young is going to join us and we’re playing National League baseball for the next 16 days."

Jeff then asked when he was expecting Young to arrive.

"Thursday or something like that, if all goes well," Brundage said.

Young, who had offseason microfracture surgery on his right ankle, officially started his rehab assignment Sunday when he played right field for Class A Clearwater. Management is excited about adding his bat to the lineup, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has admitted that he has concerns about his defense, especially after he booted a ball in Sunday's Threshers game.

Mayberry, a former first-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers, leads the team in on-base percentage (.409), is second in hitting (.316) and second in doubles (6, which is also tied for ninth in the NL). He has just one less double than Jimmy Rollins in 36 fewer at-bats.

“He does some things that Wally [Joyner] and [Steve] Hendu [Henderson] talk to him about,” Manuel said. “We talk to him about his hitting. There’s no sense in me discussing them. Like I said, let somebody else figure it out.”

Mayberry’s biggest issue throughout his career has been his lack of success against right-handed pitchers. Coming into 2013, he had career batting average of just .232 against righties. But so far this year, he’s hitting .323 (10-for-31) against right-handers.

On the current homestand, Mayberry is 5-for-13 (.385) with an RBI in four games.

Mayberry has made 11 starts this season, 10 in right field and one at first base. Young is expected to play right field when he finishes his rehab assignment.

“When you play good,” Manuel said, “you always have a chance.”

Manuel has talked time and time again about how Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino played so well that they played themselves into the lineup. Could Mayberry be the next guy to do that?

When asked about the veteran right-hander, Dubee said emphatically multiple times that he was not going to talk about him.

“I think you guys, and everybody, has bashed Roy Halladay long enough, brought up his bads, his bads, he can’t do this,” Dubee said. “Now he has a couple goods and now all of a sudden he’s a Cy Young candidate again. You guys ride that roller coaster. We’ll  just stay where we’re at. Let Roy be Roy and work himself back into it.”

MANUEL SENDING A MESSAGE?

Charlie Manuel said he got to the ball park for Sunday night's game at 10:30 in the morning and wrote down lineup after lineup after lineup until he finally settled on one. Didn’t sound like it was awe-inspiring to him.

"I think about my lineups and I write everybody down 100 times or 50 or whatever,” Manuel said. “I look at it and I still come up with the same names."

So, is this code for, “maybe we need different players?”

Could be.

What we do know for sure is that the Phillies entered Sunday’s game ranked (among all MLB teams)  25^thin OBP (.291), 25^th in OPS (.664), 22^nd in slugging percentage (.373), 22^nd in home runs (13) and 21^st in runs scored (63).

The club will make a corresponding roster move soon, likely after tonight's game. Expect a reliever to be sent down.

Pettibone (0-1, 9.64 ERA) will be making his major league debut.

"He's a guy who's got stuff," GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "He hasn't pitched great this year yet, but his stuff has been good. His command hasn't been great, but he's been up to 91-94. Hopefully he's got enough weapons to pitch well for us."

Pettibone is known for having a good sinker and slider.

Pitching coach Rich Dubee said he didn't feel comfortable commenting on Pettibone because he only saw him pitch during spring training and he doesn't like to judge pitchers on their outings in spring training.

DELMON YOUNG GETTING CLOSER
All along, Amaro has had concerns about Delmon Young's defense. His outing today did nothing to help ease Amaro's mind.

Young, who officially started his rehab assignment when he played right field for Single-A Clearwater today, booted a ball.

"Obviously we want he bat, but if he can't play defense, he can't play in the National League," Amaro said. "He's going to have to be adequate out there. Until today he hadn't screwed up any balls, but today he did. It was described to me as a ground ball that he got on an in-between hop and I think he kicked it."

Young can take up to 20 days on his rehab assignment before he has to be activated.

RUIZ'S WRIST NOT 100 PERCENT YET
Since being hit on the left wrist with a pitch on Friday, Carlos Ruiz has not played in an extended spring training game. His original X-rays were negative, but Amaro said he's going to have another set just to be sure. But the GM added that he is doing much better.

Ruiz, in the midst of serving his 25-game suspension, can begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday and it can last five days. Assuming the Phillies don't have any rainouts, he can be activated for next Sunday's game against the Mets at Citi Field.