Roy Oswalt Will Come Off Disabled List To Pitch Sunday

There was a time when the Phillies dominance was expected to ride on the backs of four starting pitchers: Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. But dominance is heavy -- it's, like 287 pounds -- and it tweaked Oswalt's back. The back inflammation has kept the right-hander out of action since June 24. According to Bob Brookover at the Philadelphia Inquirer, though, Oswalt will return this weekend:

Phils rotation for SF: Lee Thur., Worley Friday, Hamels Saturday, Oswalt Sunday.

That's the rotation for the Phillies' trip to San Francisco, where somehow the Giants miss Halladay, yet still have to face four danged good pitchers. That's kind of the Phillies' thing.

Oswalt was in the middle of an okay 2011, with a 3.79 ERA in 71-1/3 innings, but his strikeout rate was way down, moving from 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings to 5.3 strikeouts per nine innings. If the back was bothering Oswalt enough to make him miss over a month, though, that certainly could have had something to do with it.

Oswalt made two minor league rehab starts in triple-A, throwing ten innings and allowing three runs, one home run, four walks, and eight strikeouts.

Two days after Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt left the mound after only two innings of work, an official diagnosis of his back injury has been made. From ESPN's Steve Berthiaume:

#Phillies Roy Oswalt has mild bulging disc in his back. Likely out until August. Oswalt says, he's been worried about blowing out his back.

Well, that's certainly more pleasant than the nightmares Phillies fans were surely having after Oswalt himself hinted that his career could be in jeopardy, but a bulging disc is still something to take seriously. It's the same type of injury that has hampered noted golf enthusiast Tiger Woods, and without proper rest, it's capable of shutting someone down completely.

The Phillies, of course, are not exactly starving for great pitching, as fellow aces Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels each have sub-3.00 ERAs. However, the Braves, who have shown themselves to be no slouches themselves in the starting pitching department, are only five games behind in the N.L. East. The grand champion of obvious statements: the sooner the Phillies can have Oswalt back in the rotation, the better.

(Via Hardball Talk.)

On Thursday, Phillies starter Roy Oswalt was removed from a game in which he was ineffective, and in which he was ineffective because of back discomfort. He was scheduled for an MRI on the following Monday, and admitted that he'd been pitching through back pain for several weeks.

Initially, the Phillies said that Oswalt would miss at least his next scheduled start. On Friday, though, they've taken the next step and placed Oswalt on the disabled list.

The DL stint means that Oswalt will miss at least two starts, rather than one, and gives the Phillies a little more roster flexibility as they await word on the severity of his injury. Oswalt going on the DL was probably inevitable anyway, given that back problems don't just disappear or heal overnight.

Scott Mathieson was recalled to take Oswalt's place on the roster, but his rotation spot will be occupied by Kyle Kendrick for the time being. With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, the Phillies aren't exactly starved for quality pitching, but they are now working without both Oswalt and Joe Blanton, which wasn't part of the original plan.