• March 29, 2024

Howard Out 6-8 Weeks With Torn Meniscus; Ruf To Get His Chance

bighowardIf the Phillies make a run to get back in the post-season race, they’re going to have to do it without the services of Ryan Howard.

The team announced earlier today that an MRI revealed a torn meniscus in the first baseman’s knee; it will require surgery and keep Howard out of action until the end of August at the earliest.

Howard had been struggling with knee pain all season. He just wasn’t posting his regular power numbers, and the pain had been forcing the team to sit him down once or twice every week over the last month.

With Howard on the shelf, rookie first baseman Darin Ruf will get finally get his opportunity to prove that he belongs in the major leagues. After failing to make the team in Spring Training, Ruf has spent the year down in Triple-A with the Iron Pigs.

I think the Phillies made a critical mistake by allowing Howard to play through his injury for so long. Even during Spring Training, Howard had been showing signs that he just wasn’t right. The team should have just sat him down from the start of the year, and made sure he was completely healthy before having him take the field. They could very well have had him back in the lineup healthy by now, and they could have also gotten a good look at Darin Ruf in the process.

Instead, they ran Howard into the ground. Even though he clearly had very little to give in his current state, the team kept rolling him out there for the first three months of the season until they finally accepted the fact that it just wasn’t going to work. They made Howard’s injury worse in the process, and denied Ruf some valuable playing time.

Denny Basens

Read Previous

Notes From The Phillies’ 3-2 Win Over Washington

Read Next

Can Chip Kelly Keep His QB’s Healthy In The Read Option?

0 0 votes
Article Rating
23 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
RegalEagle
RegalEagle
July 8, 2013 10:20 pm

Absolutely mishandled this player. He should have been benched and sent for testing as a player does not lose the power he lost as fast as he lost it without an injury and or they were juicing in past and aren’t any more. (I believe Howard is clean so that leaves injury as the culprit)

RegalEagle
RegalEagle
July 8, 2013 10:22 pm

They could have sat him. Played Ruf early and if howard were healthy now and back on pace you could trade him. Now he is a 25 mil per year millstone around rueben’s neck!

E-money
E-money
July 8, 2013 11:01 pm

Terrible handling of the situation. They waited way too long to scope the knee. They could have given Frandsen time at first or platooned Frandsen Ruff and Mayberry.
Just awful.

mhenski
mhenski
July 9, 2013 9:38 am
Reply to  E-money

and the person who handled that situation poorly is ryan howard

atra1781
July 9, 2013 9:25 am

Bet Amaro is feeling pretty stupid after criticizing him. We need a new gm.

paulman
paulman
July 9, 2013 10:39 am

Both Howard & Doc should have started the 2013 Season on 60 Day DL List and rehabbed and strengthened up and come up to the Big Club in June healthy and ready to go for the 2nd Half of the Season (you could probably add Reliever Mike Adams also)
Phils had M Young/J Mayberry, L Nix to Play 1B in HOward’s absence and Young Arms to handle Doc’s Spot starting out the Season in the Rotation
Phils put too much emphasis on the Start of the Season where they would have been better off with how the Club was situated Health-Wise come late June-July..

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 9, 2013 10:55 am
Reply to  paulman

Paul you continue to show a complete lack of understanding of professional athletes and pro sports in general. And continue to be a prototypical Monday morning QB.

paulman
paulman
July 9, 2013 11:24 am
Reply to  haveacigar

As GM, You have to do what’s best for your Club and take the “Bigger View” Playing or Activating 2 Players who were 75%-80% Heatlhy when they could have been rehabbing was not a Good Call and too short-sighted by GM Amaro and I don’t care what the Player (Doc or Howard says)
As a GM, It’s my Responsibility to field the Best Team, with the Healthiest Players and keep a long 162 Game (6-7 Month in proper Persepctive) and not give a hoot about hurting a “Professional’s Athletes Feeling’s”
There was no doubt by anyone that Howard/Doc were not anywhere close to 100% to start the Season.. You just can let guys play/pitch ther way into shape like the Old Days.. Start them on DL, stay behind in Florida and work on their Skills,Strength and be ready to contribute when Ready.. meanwhile you can get a real good look at some Young Players who have played well during the Spring and get a taste of the Major Leagues..

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 9, 2013 11:26 am
Reply to  paulman

Halladay has a vesting option… Putting him on the DL would have been grieved for sure. You continue to ignore the real world. Howard had a frayed meniscus that was painful but playable. Athletes play when the doc says they can.

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 9, 2013 11:31 am
Reply to  haveacigar

A GM can’t arbitrarily put a player on the DL…once again you ignore facts when making your statements

mhenski
mhenski
July 9, 2013 11:35 am
Reply to  paulman

lmfao paulman. after reading this post you have no clue what a gm’s roll is or the managers, trainers, players… and what are reasonable decisions and what arent…

you are losing it bro

mhenski
mhenski
July 9, 2013 11:35 am
Reply to  mhenski

the angels shouldve put pujols on the DL last year and he should still be on it now. lol

mhenski
mhenski
July 9, 2013 1:43 pm
Reply to  mhenski

i could see the phillies and yanks agreeing to just m young for just joba though and would make that move today. it would free up at least another 12 million next year because joba would be a fa and m. young would be off our hands and asche mans the hot corner for a year or 3 until franco is ready or we sign a fa

DCar
DCar
July 9, 2013 12:07 pm

Word out of NY- Young & Chooch, for Jaba Chamberlain & Prospect. Any thought? I don’t want another has-been, damaged goods, relief pitcher. He hasn’t been good in 3-4 years, had Tommy John surgery, & has weight issues. No thanks! Hopefully the prospect(s), are decent/good, because IMHO, this another Qualls/Durbin, waiting to happen.

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
July 9, 2013 12:18 pm
Reply to  DCar

No thanks on Joba. 5.75 ERA this year. We got plenty of that in the bullpen already.

mhenski
mhenski
July 9, 2013 1:35 pm
Reply to  bugsyhawk

whoever is floating this young/ruiz trade for jaba and a prospect is on Quaaludes

mhenski
mhenski
July 9, 2013 1:44 pm
Reply to  mhenski

i could see the phillies and yanks agreeing to just m young for just joba though and would make that move today. it would free up at least another 12 million next year because joba would be a fa and m. young would be off our hands and asche mans the hot corner for a year or 3 until franco is ready or we sign a fa

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
July 9, 2013 12:16 pm

I want to hear you guys hammer Howard the way that did Utley at the beginning of last season. Isn’t this the same thing? He was hurt. Probably knew the extent of the injury and how it might become worse. Definitely knew how it was affecting his power and his ability to run. Now the situation is worse.

DCar
DCar
July 9, 2013 12:41 pm
Reply to  bugsyhawk

The Phillies knew he had a frayed miniscus, when they gave him a cortizone shot. He hasn’t been fully healthy since the Achilles tear. This medical staff, Front office, & decision makers, are the f^#@ing worst in MLB! They don’t learn! From Howard- 2 years of Roy- Adams signing- 2 years of Utleys BS- pinch hitting Victorino when was hurt, on his way to the DL! Every decision maker on this team, are inept, stupid & highly irresponsible!! Now they want to bring i Qualls 3.0, coming off of Tommy John surgery! GTFO! Also, Howard didn’t help himself, by coming into this season, fat & out of shape, knowing he’s old, in decline & not 100%. OYE VEY!!!!

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 9, 2013 1:54 pm
Reply to  DCar

‘The phillies knew he had a frayed meniscus’ hence the cortisone shot

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
July 9, 2013 3:47 pm

And what are the chances that a frayed meniscus tears? Gotta believe that that that number goes way up when you are a 33 year old MLB player who is 6’4 240 who is still recovering from an achilles injury.

haveacigar
haveacigar
July 9, 2013 5:14 pm
Reply to  bugsyhawk

I guess you are new to following sports? Players playing with pain , tears, swollen body parts is not a new thing. 5 played with a broken leg, rocky said ‘cut me mick’…puljos can barely walk wtf

paulman
paulman
July 9, 2013 5:53 pm

**Trade Alert**
LHP CLiff Lee & 2B Chase Utley to the Anaheim Angels for OF/1B Mike Trumbo
,2B Howie Kendrick & 2 Pitching Prospects…