Phillies Notes | Howard awaiting answer on his leg

PHOENIX -

Ryan Howard

hopes to receive an official answer about his sore left quadriceps tomorrow.

Maybe he got an unofficial one last night.

Howard, who hasn't been in the starting lineup since Sunday in San Francisco, hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning against Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Brandon Medders at Chase Field. It handed the Phillies a one-run lead in a 9-3 victory.

Howard said afterward that his thigh felt better after the rest, but he is scheduled to see team physician Michael Ciccotti before tomorrow night's game against the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park.

"It felt good to get out there and get on defense and kind of see how it feels," said Howard, who stayed in the game at first base. "I think the true test is going to see how it is running. That's where it always seems to kind of act up a little bit."

Running might be bad for Howard's thigh. But trotting around the bases? That's OK.

Howard is hitting .204 with six home runs and 23 RBIs. His last three hits have been homers.

Howard said before the game that he was not apprehensive about his visit with Ciccotti.

"If you see something [in the examination], then you know," he said. "Then you don't have to wonder what it is. Once you find out what it is, then you can try to find a solution."

The Phillies changed their rotation for this weekend's series against the Cubs. Lefthander

Cole Hamels

(4-1, 3.59 ERA) will face Chicago lefty

Rich Hill

(4-1, 1.73) tomorrow night. Righthander

Freddy Garcia

(1-2, 5.33) will take on Cubs righthander

Angel Guzman

(0-0, 2.19) on Saturday afternoon, and righthander

Jon Lieber

(1-1, 3.33) will face Chicago lefty

Ted Lilly

(2-2, 2.78) on Sunday afternoon.

Lieber had been scheduled to start tomorrow night, but he has a cut on one of the fingers on his pitching hand and the Phillies want to give him a couple of extra days to heal.

Aaron Rowand,

who hit third in the lineup for the first time this season, went 2 for 4. He has reached base safely in 32 of 34 games this season. Rowand is hitting .360.

- Todd Zolecki