The play at the plate on Thursday made a big impact, not only in the game but on Carlos Ruiz’s left wrist as well.
The Phillies catcher missed last night’s 4-1 win over the Padres, a day after injuring his wrist when Will Venable collided with him on Thursday. Ruiz could miss today’s game as well.
The pain and swelling was so bad that he could barely hold a bat yesterday during batting practice.
That’s true, but I don’t make excuses,” Ruiz said to reporters yesterday. “But it was definitely sore, and it was more sore this morning when I woke up.”
If Ruiz can’t play, Brian Schneider will make his second straight start, catching for Roy Halladay tonight. He hit the game-tying single in last night’s win.
CONTRERAS DEBUTS — It had been 319 days since Jose Contreras last pitched in a Major League game.
In last night’s 4-1 win, Contreras pitched the 7th inning, walking one batter and throwing nine pitches. But of those nine pitches, only three were strikes.
“You could see where Contreras was a little rusty,” Charlie Manuel said. “When he missed the first couple hitters there, he missed pretty bad.”
All it will take for Contreras to get back into full game shape is to keep on pitching. And with the Phillies playing two more games against a lowly Padres team, expect to see Contreras pitching in one of the next two games.
“He needs work,” Manuel said. “He needs to pitch. In order for Contreras to be good, you have to use him on a regular basis. He has to pitch two out of four days to keep him going. When he gets throwing real good he has to maintain that. He has to pitch to maintain his command and velocity.”
TTB 