More bad news on the injury front for the Philadelphia Phillies.
One day after the team officially announced star 2nd baseman Chase Utley will begin the season on the disabled list, the Phillies announced closer Brad Lidge will miss the start of the season due to pain in his right throwing shoulder.
Liege was shutdown earlier in the spring due to bicep tendinitis. However he says the pain in his shoulder is new and Lidge is concerned about the injury.
“I don’t know. I know I wish there was no pain,” when asked if the new pain was a particularly bad sign. “There was always a little bit of pain in the back (of the shoulder) that we thought was from the biceps tendinitis, but there is that. So I’m not really familiar with the shoulder, I haven’t had shoulder injuries before – at least not in a long time – so I’m not really familiar with the pain and discomfort I’m having so we’re going to have the doctor do a look at it tomorrow.”
He will be examined by team doctor Michael Cicotti on Saturday and will receive an MRI back in Philadelphia on Monday.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Lidge. “Yesterday I was really pretty upset just because coming into camp I felt really good. I don’t know where along the line I did it. I’m sure it was pretty early in those games I was in. It’s just been very frustrating that it hasn’t gotten a lot smoother.”
“Opening day – I won’t be ready based on what they’re telling me. We’re going to have to rest it for a while, and it’s basically up to them how long they want to rest it for.”
With Lidge on the shelf Ryan Madson and Jose Contreras will likely split the closing duties for the Phillies.
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