Lidge ‘very happy’ with rehab in Reading

READING - Phillies closer Brad Lidge made his first rehabilitation appearance, pitching one scoreless inning for the Reading Phillies in tonight's game against the visiting Harrisburg Senators.

After he left the game, Lidge said he felt no pain in his sprained right knee.

"The big thing for me is to go out there and push off my back leg and make sure it feels good and I did that today and it did feel good so I was very happy with my outing," he said.

Lidge is on the 15-day disabled list and is eligible to be activated on Tuesday.

The Phillies begin a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday in St. Petersburg. Lidge will travel with the team, but he is planning at least one more minor league rehabilitation appearance, which would be Tuesday in Clearwater.

"The best case scenario is to throw one more [minor league] game on the 23rd in Florida," he said.

Lidge was tonight's starting pitcher and surrendered a leadoff double to shortstop Ian Desmond, considered the top player for the Senators, the Class AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Lidge then recorded two strikeouts, sandwiched around a forceout at the plate. He threw 15 pitches and his fastball stayed in the 91 to 92 mile-per-hour range.

He was relieved by lefthander Joe Savery to start the second inning and the game then was delayed by rain.

Lidge allowed for the possibility that he could make two more minor league appearances.

"There is a chance I might want to throw again on the 25th," he said. "They don't want me coming back until they know I know for sure in my head I'm 100 percent and everything in my body is responding exactly how I want it."

Phillies assistant general manager Benny Looper watched Lidge pitch here.

"It was a very positive outing," Looper said.