Brad Lidge Turns to Needle, as Per Doctor’s Advice

Let me just start by saying Brad Lidge’s fastball hasn’t seen the light of 90 mph yet. This is not a true worry just yet, as the regular season is still-FIVE DAYS FROM NOW?! With our hopes pinned to the wall by the darts of time, we turn to team doctor Michael Ciccotti for hope:

“Because he started a little bit later this year with his throwing, that soreness has lingered a little bit longer.”

I think we may have come into this a little late.  What the hell’s going on.

Apparently Brad’s “surgically repaired” arm got a cortisone shot to “jump start” his… arm.  He claims the slider’s working and the strength is “there” but his velocity has yet to get on the bus.  Which is disconcerting/not surprising/disconcerting that its not surprising.

“It’s not at all related to the surgery he had in the offseason,” Ciccotti continued.

Oh… good… ?

Get well soon, Brad.

Blue Jays 5, Phillies 2

Anyways, Doc got shot up today in the first inning by his old team, then struck out the side, then had a 1-2-3 inning.    Then he actually spoke to Vernon Wells, who promptly shat himself from raw intimidation (“A full sentence,” according to Wells).

Meanwhile, “SI cover curse” theorists are already at their typewriters.

“Oh my god!  Some gnats hit the windshield of my fighter jet!  WE’RE GOIN’ DOWN!”

And even better news, Joe Blanton’s out there, straining his obliques.  Looks like days after Kyle Kendrick’s role on the team was destined in the bullpen, he may have a job on the rotation after all.

God, I hate you, Jeff Francoeur.

Phils-Pirates, 1:05 pm, Bright House Field.  This begins a three day extrav-arrrrrr-ganza (Ha ha ha!  Leave me alone) against the Bucs that starts in Clearwater and ends in our own backyard, Citizens Bank Park.  With the regular season just several hundred thousand seconds from now, we’re faced with several important question marks that could lead to glaring weaknesses down the stretch.

Wow, I guess… I guess blogging about problems doesn’t make them go away. Baseball is tough.