Phillies Notes: Lee says longer stay on DL is likely

Phillies lefthander Cliff Lee was reevaluated Monday and has not been cleared to resume throwing. The Phillies said Lee would be reevaluated in three days.

Lee went on the 15-day disabled list last Tuesday with a left elbow strain. He had experienced discomfort for about a month but felt increased pain after his most recent outing, May 18 in an 8-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Lee earned the win but threw 116 pitches.

"They decided to let me wait [until] I have no symptoms to start throwing," Lee said after the Phillies' 9-0 win over Colorado Monday. "I pretty much agree with that and it makes sense.

"If I felt good today it would be another week or so and hopefully I could come back after the 15 days is up," Lee added. "But now it looks like it is going to be longer than that."

Lee said he could see some progress.

"It is definitely better than it was, but [the discomfort] is still there," he said. "Whenever I can do some of the tests they put me through, if I can do it without feeling it at all, I will start throwing, but until then I will continue to work on it and let it heal."

Phillies third baseman Cody Asche said he tried to play through a hamstring injury but couldn't do it any longer.

"It got to the point where it wasn't feeling too good and I tried day-to-day and it wasn't working out," Asche said.

He went on the disabled list on Sunday, retroactive to Friday.

Asche was playing some of his best baseball. Over his last six games, he hit .417 (10 for 24) with one home run, six RBIs, and a 1.106 OPS.

He said the injury first flared up in the May 16-18 series against the Reds.

Players and coaches wore caps and jerseys featuring a Marine Corps digital camouflage design in honor of Memorial Day. . . . After a five-RBI day, Ryan Howard is seven shy of reaching 1,000 for his career. Tuesday's Rockies starter, Jorge De La Rosa, has thrown 12 consecutive scoreless innings. . . . Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who went 2 for 4 and is hitting .378, committed his first error of the season on a throw in the sixth inning. . . . The Phillies were 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position, while Colorado was 0 for 9. . . . The Phillies earned their sixth shutout of the season. Colorado has been blanked three times. . . . Phillies centerfielder Ben Revere had three hits, the sixth time this season he has had three or more in a game.

CLIFF LEE

ON HOLD

Lefty says longer stay on the DL is possible. D5