Phillies Notes: Phillies' Bastardo starting to tire
MILWAUKEE - The question posed to Antonio Bastardo, the shy and stoic reliever so dominant in 2011, made the Phillies lefthander burst into laughter.
MILWAUKEE - The question posed to Antonio Bastardo, the shy and stoic reliever so dominant in 2011, made the Phillies lefthander burst into laughter.
"Am I fresh?" Bastardo said, repeating the question. "No." Then he smiled.
With the calendar turning to September, Bastardo sat at his locker in Cincinnati having finished a spectacular outing against the Reds. He pitched the next day without problem, but it was the third consecutive day of pitching when he appeared painfully fatigued. And even after Bastardo was rested for three days afterward, he returned Wednesday with a scoreless outing that did not exactly impress his manager.
"I've seen him pitch better," Charlie Manuel said.
Bastardo warmed up Thursday at Milwaukee's Miller Park but did not pitch. On Friday night, he faced two batters and allowed a single and a walk.
In the grand scheme of things, in addition to ensuring the health of Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, restoring Bastardo's sharpness is a priority this month.
"I need a rest right now," Bastardo said. "My arm's not hurt. It's just tired."
That's understandable, given that Bastardo has never pitched this deep into a season. His 59 appearances (including Friday) are by far the most of his professional career, which he began as a starter in the minors. Last season, he threw 39 total innings. In 2009, when he was still a starter, he threw 78 innings counting the majors and minors.
He is at 541/3 innings in 2011 after Friday. Pitching coach Rich Dubee said it was imperative for Bastardo to sit for those three days. As for the plan down the stretch to keep Bastardo sharp yet limit his workload, that is hard to predict.
"We'll see how it plays out," Dubee said. "You pick your spots. You can't just make a schedule for a reliever."
Regardless, Bastardo was pleased that he and the staff were on the same page.
"Oh, yeah, it's better to get it now than later," Bastardo said of the rest. "I'm still trying to get back to my normal feeling."
Utley update
Chase Utley will undergo the crucial ImPACT test Saturday to ascertain how severe his concussion is. The diagnosis was made after Utley saw a specialist Thursday.
The Phillies do not know the severity of the injury, or whether it even can be classified as "mild," until the actual test. The results will be compared to a baseline reading taken on Utley (and every other Phillie) at the beginning of spring training.
Head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan clarified Utley's symptoms Friday by saying the second baseman did not experience headaches Wednesday after being struck in the head by an Eric O'Flaherty pitch, or at any time after the incident. Manuel previously had said it was his understanding that Utley had headaches.
Rollins still out
Rollins fielded grounders Friday and showed a great range of motion as he tested his strained groin. Manuel did not want to put a timetable on his shortstop's return, but said it could be in four or five days.
He suggested the decision to return is solely Rollins'.
"He gets these little aches, and he wants to be sure he's good to go," Manuel said. He continued: "Let me put it like this: Jimmy Rollins is our regular shortstop. He's a good player. We've won a lot of games without him."
Extra bases
In his first nine days as a Phillie, John Bowker batted exactly two times. Manuel said he spoke with the trade acquisition on Friday and told him more chances to show his value will come. "I'm going to try to get him some more at-bats," Manuel said. "Eventually, I will." . . . Dubee said he had not yet decided on an extra starter for Thursday's doubleheader.
