Ruiz out with sore wrist

SAN DIEGO — His left wrist hurt immediately when Carlos Ruiz withstood Will Venable crashing into him in the sixth inning Thursday. The Phillies catcher batted two more times and struck out in both chances.

It was hard to grip a bat.

"That's true, but I don't make excuses," Ruiz said. "But it was definitely sore, and it was more sore this morning when I woke up."

So Ruiz will not play Friday and could very well sit Saturday, too. Charlie Manuel inserted backup catcher Brian Schneider into the lineup to rest Ruiz's sore left wrist.

Manuel said Ruiz is only available should the Phillies have an emergency need for another catcher. Ruiz tried swinging briefly before batting practice. He indicated the swelling has persisted but said there were no X-rays taken.

The manager said head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan reported it was a day-to-day injury. Ruiz also injured his left wrist in a collision at home plate in 2009 and missed nine games. The Phillies do not believe this injury to be as serious, but it's still uncertain.

Manuel paired Ruiz with Vance Worley for the first time in 14 regular-season starts Thursday. Schneider was Worley's catcher and the Phillies rode the relationship because it bred success. But Worley's confidence is self-sufficient now and Ruiz's bat is too valuable.

With a new guide, things were different. Worley said Ruiz called for his breaking balls — a slider and curveball — with more frequency early in the game. In his last start, Worley threw 22 sliders. He used it 36 times Thursday, according to Pitch F/X data. Opposing hitters swung and missed at it six times.

"He did a really good job of mixing up the pitches for me," Worley said.

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