Breaking: Bastardo goes on DL; Mathieson called up

The Phillies have placed left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo on the disabled list with left elbow ulnar neuritis and recalled right-handed flame-thrower Scott Mathieson from Triple-A.

Bastardo, who has split the season between the Phillies and Lehigh Valley, had a 5.11 ERA in 16 appearances, last appearing Tuesday against the Yankees. Mathieson, who is having a strong season as Lehigh Valley's closer and was named the Phillies' minor league pitcher of the month for May, was 2-2 with 12 saves, a 2.43 ERA, 32/12 K/BB ratio in 29 2-3 innings, holding opponents to a .194 average. This is Mathieson's first action with the Phils since late 2006 when his career was derailed by Tommy John surgery and related setbacks. Still a starter then, he was 1-4 with a 7.47 ERA in 9 games (8 starts). Mathieson was already on the 40-man roster, so an addition roster move isn't necessary.

Comments

[Old Phan]

Everyone wanted Mathieson up. They got their wish.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Welcome back to the show, Mathieson!

[loctastic]

YAY

[skeeter4]

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! I've been waiting for 2 years for this.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Like John Lennon sang, Don't Let Me Down!

[Rire Fube]

Bout time...

[Martin]

I knew it would happen, I'd just purchased Mathieson's 2006 Topps Rookie card at the Pig's Coca Cola Park.

[R.Billingsly]

How long 'til Mathieson gets into a ballgame? You know how reluctant Cholly is to use a newbie.

[Andrew Cleveland Alexander]

Wait--hate to interrupt everyone's excitement here, but does anyone know what left elbow ulnar neuritis is? I'm as happy as anyone to see Mathieson, but as of right this second, I'm a little more concerned about the fragile health of our second lefty in the bullpen. I guess if something happens to Bastardo, our next option is ... Zagurski? Urp.

[Greg V.]

WELCOME BACK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVS3WNt7yRU

[Andrew Cleveland Alexander]

Sorry, meant to say "if something happens to Romero" our next option is Zagurski. The "urp" part still stands.

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Ulnar neuritis means Bastardo's elbow needs to see a psychologist.

[Sophist]

He's a great story and a big SO arm. Hopefully it continues to be a great one.

[Hugh Mulcahy]

I'm with Grover. What's ulnar neuritis? Is that Latin for his elbow hurts?

[Jbird]

Hope he does well.

Even I am getting tired of talking about Cliff Lee (though I love him so) but this was posted in ESPN's Rumormill:

"Jack Curry of the Yes Network reported via Twitter that he "spoke to a baseball official who has regular contact with the Phils. He said they are itching to add a starter and would love to get Cliff Lee back.""

[out of my league]

...snip...

http://www.diseasesatoz.com/ulnar-neuritis.htm

Ulnar Neuritis Information
What is Ulnar Neuritis?

Ulnar Neuritis disorder begins with a little bit of tingling in the little fingers and the sensitivity at the motor elbow when placing the elbow on arm rests in cars or on a chair. The ulnar nerve is the nerve that some people call their "funny bone" that runs behind the elbow. It runs in a tunnel which has a fibrous roof. I think that your nerve has become irritated. As a result you have pain in your ring and little fingers. You may also have some weakness in your fingers.
Symptom of Ulnar Neuritis

Symptoms of Ulnar Neuritis can get worse whereby serious nerve injury can occur at the elbow level and even damaging the nerve causing permanent paralysis.
Causes of Ulnar Neuritis

Ulnar Neuritis at the elbow is caused by compression or irritation of the ulnar nerve as it runs behind the elbow joint. Fibrosis of the ulnar nerve or ulnar nerve palsy may result from osteoarthritic or rheumatoid
narrowing of the ulnar groove behind the medial epicondyle of the humerus or by direct compression by rheumatoid nodules.
Treatment and Cure of Neuritis

As a treatment of Ulnar Neuritis it is recommended:

* Avoid local repetitive trauma - consider using protective elbow pads.
* Avoid elbow flexion in the short term (not for chronic cases).
* Injections of LA / steroid may help either in the ulnar groove or between the two heads of flexor carpi ulnaris. Beware local nerve injury by the needle.
* Surgery - moving the nerve out of the groove and into the front part of the elbow joint may help.

[Bruce Ruffin]

Belated congrats to Jason!! I really hope Comcast lets everyone stay just as they were a week/month/year ago. Free spirits make great posters.

All the best to Antonio Bastardo. We can't have too much pitching. BTW, If I was Ryan Madson, I'd be feeling kinda' uneasy about now. It's my guess that now that Mr. Mathieson has made The Show, he won't be kicking clubhouse chairs any time soon. Can't wait to see how the killer AAA stats translate...

[NEPP]

I love when things work themselves out.

[Dan]

Don't count out Zagurski. He currently has a 10.2 inning scoreless streak and an ERA of 2.48. He leads the International league in reliefs K's per 9. (43 in 29 Innings pitched)

He's been very solid in Lehigh Valley and has the potential to do really well for the Phillies if needed.

[josh in la]

well all problems solved ..hey? This is all bl has asked for for weeks.. kind of like met fans clamoring for ike davis..look how hes doing! Can mathieson play ss too?I hear he hits than pujols fields like ozzie smith and pitches like koufax... im guesssing 16 game winning streak fo sho

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Madson has millions of reasons not to worry too much.

[NEPP]

Losing the next Santana to the DL while gaining Mathieson is kinda a wash. It was only with BOTH of them that our problems would be solved.

[Andrew Cleveland Alexander]

Yeah Dan, I know Zagurski has been pitching well and I suppose he had some small ML success a couple of years ago before he got hurt. Still, my general point is, we are THIN behind Romero and if this nerve thing in Bastardo's elbow is serious (and I think there are no unserious elbow issues when it comes to pitchers) we're probably looking at a situation where they have to do something via the trade market. Which means our favorite kind of transaction: high-ceiling prospects for middle relief help.

[Chris in VT]

Jbird - Good god, the Cliff Lee talk will never end.

Even if the Phils were willing to outbid the rest of the market to re-acquire Lee, it would still require Rube to admit that the (so far) signature move of his GM tenure was a mistake. I don't know if his ego would allow that...

[Jbird]

Chris - It probably won't end until he signs with the Yankees this winter. . . .maybe

[Bedrosian's Beard]

Chris: Wouldn't Rube's signature move being acquiring Halladay, the guy he's always wanted, not trading Lee?

[Chris in VT]

Bed's Beard - I consider the Halladay/Lee trades to be one "move," since neither one would have happened without the other. And just for the record, I'm not calling the Halladay acquisition a mistake.

Jbird - I actually expect Lee to end up with the BoSox, myself, but it's pretty much 50/50 Yanks/Sawx.

[holy mackerel]

the Mariner's want Aumount, Paul Abbott, and Paul Hoover, nothing less to get Cliff back..

[holy mackerel]

Rube turned it down because Hoover is too importance to the pHils org

[wildthing]

I'm not sure the Cliff Lee talk should end. I'm glad to see it's still being written about too....

http://longdistancephilliesfan.blogspot.com/2010/06/ruben-amaro-assessment-part-1.html

[Old Phan]

Maybe the Natinals will sign Lee and have a Lee/Strasburg one-two punch.

[holy mackerel]

I thought that Mathieson's last save opp or the one before that- was ugly and raised his ERA to 2.xx

Not that 2.xx is bad...

[philwynk]

So, the Phillies' rotation would become Halladay, Lee, Hamels, Moyer, and maybe, Jay Happ?

Not to get anybody's hopes up, but honestly, I think you'd only need average hitting and fielding to make the playoffs for the next two years, with that starting rotation.

Just sayin'. Now, back to the world where we all have to make a living...

[RR]

RAJ would only have to say that the main assumption on which the trade was made, namely, the Phils remaining an offensive juggernaut in 2010, no longer pertains, necessitating the acquisition of better starting pitching. If it were to happen--a fantasy, I'm sure--I doubt RAJ gets to keep Happ this trading season.

[philwynk]

@RR: "I doubt RAJ gets to keep Happ this trading season."

Or perhaps, RAJ does not get to keep Jason Werth this trading season, which would signal even more clearly that shift in strategy from offensive juggernaut to pitching juggernaut.

Not saying I want this or I approve, just speculating on fantasy trades. We'll see, won't we?

[Account Deleted]

To those who want the Cliff Lee talk to end, I remind you that people in hell want ice water. This discussion will be ongoing among Phillies fans when the youngest poster has grandchildren, let alone a half year removed from the incident in question..