Right, Jeremy Horst Still Rehabbing with IronPigs

Oh, that crazy Phillies bullpen!

June 4, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jeremy Horst (47) delivers to the plate during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillis defeated the Marlins 7-3 in 11 innings. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

So full of miscues and injuries.  Why, just last night I screamed and ran away from my laptop at a Jonathan Papelbon meltdown happening right before my very ears.

It turned out okay, though.  Somehow.  Though when he allowed the Nationals to pull within one, and then the guy that tagged him last time for a big home run stepped in, I thought, “Well, eventually, we all curl up behind the couch and twitch.”

Fortunately, things wound up okay.  But that bullpen still feels like the worst, despite the disputes you’d get by checking around on Twitter.  Apparently that honor could go to anywhere from New York to Cleveland.

Still, though, the Phillies pen is quite bad.  Even the pieces currently missing aren’t performing terrifically well, including Jeremy Horst.  Remember him?  The lefty they switched in for Wilson Valdez?  He’s 27, but in 26 innings for the Phillies this year, he’s allowed 18 earned runs.

Well, he hurt himself not too long ago with a left elbow strain, and has been rehabbing in Lehigh Valley after leaving the 15-day DL.  Of course, theories surfaced that Horst was just going down due to his inability to get anybody out and his refined ability to let in runs to the tune of a 6.23 ERA.  He pitched for the IronPigs on Thursday and Friday, and will keep rehabbing with another appearance today.

Also, Erik Kratz is down there.  He seems fine.  He played five innings in the second game of a double header for the IronPigs and grounded out to third all three times.  So he’s back to midseason form.