The Phillies are less certain about 3B Pedro Feliz, who still hasn't swung a bat after undergoing surgery Nov. 20 to repair a herniated disk in his lower back.

--SS Jimmy Rollins was sidelined for 28 games early last season with a sprained left ankle. But upon arriving to spring training, he admitted the ankle bothered him until December.

"Come the playoffs, a couple times I was on first base and talking to (Milwaukee's) Prince (Fielder), and I was like, 'It feels like my Achilles' is going to go, but it's going to have to blow for me to come out of this game,'" Rollins said. "But it feels good now."

After posting historic numbers and being crowned NL MVP in 2007, Rollins' power totals regressed last season to pre-2006 levels. He hit just 11 home runs, his lowest total since 2003, and his 59 RBI were his fewest in a season since 2005. Rollins said he's unable to gauge how much his ankle affected his performance. But it stands to reason that a healthier Rollins will be a more productive Rollins.

"He got hurt, of course, and got off to a slow start, and it seemed like he had some trouble catching up," manager Charlie Manuel said. "It took him a while to get going."

--LHP Cole Hamels is pictured on the cover -- and featured inside -- the Feb. 23 edition of Sports Illustrated. Should the Phillies be worried about the SI jinx? "I've never even heard about it," Hamels said. "As long as I'm not on a Madden cover any time soon, then I'm happy."

Hamels and his wife, Heidi, are planning to adopt an orphan from Ethiopia. He said he has spoken to pitcher Jamie Moyer, who is a father of seven, including an adopted daughter from Guatemala, about being a parent.

"My wife kind of always had that inside of her," Hamels said. "It's going to be a real fun experience for us. It's a grueling process we have to go through to see if we're fit parents. ... We'll see where it takes us and how we can better the world."

--OF Geoff Jenkins got only 293 at-bats and batted .246 with nine homers and 29 RBI last season, his lowest totals since an injury-shortened 2002 season with Milwaukee. After watching video, he decided to shorten his stride and lower his signature leg kick.

"I've always been an everyday guy, and that leg kick, you kind of need to play every day to stay with it," Jenkins said Thursday. "It's a big timing mechanism, and it's hard when you're not getting consistent at-bats to get the timing right. And it was causing a drift in my swing. It was something small, but in hitting, small is huge."

While Jenkins is hoping for a numbers spike, the Phils are trying to sort out their bench. They'd like to add a right-handed pinch-hitter and could trade one of their three lefties. Jenkins or OF Matt Stairs would be logical trade bait, and because Stairs ($1 million) makes less money than Jenkins ($6.75 million), he figures to draw more interest.

If the Phillies keep both, utility INF Eric Bruntlett and a backup catcher (Chris Coste or Ronny Paulino) would be the only right-handed pinch-hitters. Bruntlett would be the lone pinch-running option.

"A lot of that stuff in spring training takes care of itself," Jenkins said. "Everyone knows the situation. But you've really got to train yourself like you're going to play every day, and you should never let that attitude go."

--OF Matt Stairs turns 41 on Feb. 27, has one season remaining on his contract and would love to be a major league coach someday. But, so far, he hasn't thought about retirement.

"It really depends on how my body feels," said Stairs, a reserve outfielder and lefty pinch-hitter. "Hands-wise and bat speed-wise, I could probably play another two or three years. I'm not embarrassing myself yet. And it's good to get in the right ballpark, too. Give me 600 at-bats in Philly. But if, end of the season, a coaching job in the major leagues comes up, I might take it."

--INF Miguel Cairo signed a minor league contract with the Phillies last week and reported to camp as a non-roster invitee. The Phillies are still seeking additional middle-infield depth and another right-handed pinch-hitter, although it isn't clear if Cairo will satisfy either need. Cairo, 34, batted .249 with 23 RBI in 221 at-bats last year for Seattle.

He played 70 games at first base, 19 at third base, five at second base, two in left field, one in right field and one at shortstop. Cairo is a .266 career hitter in 13 seasons with seven teams (Blue Jays, Cubs, Rays, Cardinals, Yankees, Mets and Mariners). Last month, the Phillies signed veteran INF Marcus Giles and INF Pablo Ozuna to minor league contracts and invited them to spring training.

BY THE NUMBERS: 21 -- Victories over the past two seasons for RHP Kyle Kendrick, the slight favorite in the Phillies' fifth-starter competition, according to pitching coach Rich Dubee.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'd welcome him to the Hall of Fame -- if he got elected. I always seem to walk down the middle of the fence. I understand the old, hard-line guys that use the words, 'He cheated. He cheated.' And I understand other guys that go, 'It was a culture thing, and if you played then, you would've been tempted, too.' People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. We've all got some (skeletons) in our closet." -- Phillies Hall of Fame 3B Mike Schmidt on Alex Rodriguez.