--LHP Jamie Moyer's dismal performance Thursday night against the Mets in New York left the Phillies' starting rotation with a 6.26 ERA, worst in the majors. But manager Charlie Manuel said he isn't in a hurry to make any changes. Manuel and pitching coach Rich Dubee have said they're sticking with LHP Cole Hamels, RHP Brett Myers, Moyer, RHP Joe Blanton and RHP Chan Ho Park, at least for now. "You guys seem like you're in a freakin' hurry for us to do something with our pitching," Manuel said before Hamels went to the mound Friday night in the series-opener against the Atlanta Braves. "We won a World Series with four of those starters. That was our rotation. And the other guy (Park), he pitched very good in spring training."
--2B Chase Utley continues to deal with soreness in his bruised right foot, the result of being hit by Mets RHP Mike Pelfrey in the first inning May 1. Since he got hit, Utley has missed two games and gone 2-for-14 with one home run in the five games he has played. "His foot kind of gets tight during the game," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He'll be real loose, he'll be feeling real good, and as he stays on it, it tightens up. He gets sore. He gets tight. I do notice it sometimes when I watch him run the bases or he has to run real hard. I notice it at times." Utley went 1-for-4 with a homer and three strikeouts Friday night against the Braves. --SS Jimmy Rollins batted .417 during the three-week World Baseball Classic in March, making him the hottest hitter on Team USA and portending a fast start for the Phillies' star shortstop and leadoff-hitting catalyst. It didn't work out that way. Rollins batted only .207 -- with a .241 on-base percentage -- in April and struggled so much that manager Charlie Manuel took him out of the lineup on consecutive Sundays in an effort to get his swing straightened out. Looking back, Rollins says he was suffering from a World Baseball Classic hangover.
"It was a big thing to go there," Rollins said. "You were focused right away. Everything counted. There was no time to be unfocused. It was the importance of it all, and it helps playing in a team like that. You're playing with some of the best players in baseball. But when we got back, even with Shane (Victorino), the first couple games were like, what am I doing? It was rough. Your skills and effort don't change. It was just hard to get up. But the last 15 games or so, I've been feeling refreshed. You get that air back in that balloon."
MEDICAL WATCH:
LHP Cole Hamels (sprained left ankle) left his April 28 start. He threw a bullpen session May 5 and started May 8.
ROTATION:
LHP Cole Hamels
RHP Brett Myers
LHP Jamie Moyer
RHP Joe Blanton
RHP Chan Ho Park
BULLPEN:
RHP Brad Lidge (closer)
RHP Ryan Madson
RHP Chad Durbin
LHP Scott Eyre
RHP Clay Condrey
LHP J.A. Happ
LHP Jack Taschner
CATCHERS:
Carlos Ruiz
Chris Coste
INFIELDERS:
1B Ryan Howard
2B Chase Utley
SS Jimmy Rollins
3B Pedro Feliz
INF Eric Bruntlett
INF Miguel Cairo
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Raul Ibanez
CF Shane Victorino
RF Jayson Werth
OF/INF Greg Dobbs
OF Matt Stairs
