Placido Polanco and his amazing friends

Placido Polanco leads the National League in hits and runs, and is third in batting average. He's made some sweet plays in the field this week. Seems like the Phillies picked the right guy for the job. They certainly shouldn't hire me for their scouting department, because the players I suggested they take instead of Polanco aren't faring nearly as well as he: Adrian Beltre is batting 92 points lower than Placido and has driven in half the RBI's. Dan Uggla is playing an atrocious 2nd base. "The Pulse" DeRosa has a bum hammy. Pedro Feliz is batting .222.

My worry about Polanco's decline in batting average in recent seasons is quickly receding. Turns out he's a great fit for the lineup; Polanco is taking full advantage of the protection afforded him by the three swaggering sluggers at his back.

The Phillies have a bigger problem right now, and it's all their injuries. Blanton, Happ, Lidge, Romero and Rollins are all hurt right now. You can't expect the Phillies to score a zillion runs every game (they couldn't muster any runs today to support Cole Hamels' gem), and that's what they're gonna need to do if Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick keep getting rocked. Oh, by the way, those guys are definitely going to keep getting rocked.

Happ's injury status is a little murky; he'll throw a bullpen tomorrow and see how it goes (4/22 update- Happ goes on 15 day DL). Charlie hopes he'll only miss one start. Blanton is targeting the first week of May for his return, and Lights Out Lidge will likely join him. Romero was supposed to be back before Lidge, but now I hear there is no timetable for him to get to the big boy team.

So it looks like the Phils are going to need to go a few weeks on pitching fumes, and that will douse a hot start right quick.

As for Jimmy Rollins, who helped fuel the Phillies scoring explosion in the first week of the season, Stefania Bell, ESPN's injury expert, says that we can only hope to see him in four weeks. Calf injuries are tough for speed guys and infielders, and Rollins is both. Furthermore, rushing back from a calf strain can make the calf blow completely, ending a player's season.

Bottom line seems to be that the Phils might struggle through April and some of May without some key players. The division race is going to be that much tighter in September.