Brad Lidge

Brad Lidge is ready to rock. If he is not 100 percent healthy, he said today he is very, very close to it. He has been on the DL since June 6 because of a sprained right knee, but Ruben Amaro Jr. said Lidge will be activated from the DL before tomorrow night's series finale against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Lidge and the Phillies expect him to have no restrictions upon his return. That means he could pitch back-to-back days or three days in a row. "I would doubt there would be any restrictions," Lidge said. "I feel I can do three days in a row right now. I guess that's a bridge we'll be happy to cross when we get there. ... I can't predict that it's going to feel fine, but I think it will. I can't imagine why it won't."

The Zo Zone

after pitching a scoreless eighth inning in a 5-3 loss, he pronounced himself ready to go. "My guess is they'll probably activate me [tomorrow] but I don't really know for sure," he said. "I'm sure they'll want to make sure I have plenty of rest before I'm activated, instead of going back-to-back days out of the chute. Even though I feel like I can."

There had been some talk of still one more rehab assignment, but Lidge doesn't think it's necessary. "That's up to them, but I feel pretty darn good right now," he said. "I'm not sure I'd necessarily feel better if I had another outing. I don't think there's a whole lot more I have to do.

"It went real good. Once again, I didn't feel anything. It's real encouraging. I know that results aren't necessarily what I'm looking for down here. Being able to drive the ball to my location is the most important thing right now. And I feel like I'm able to do that. So that's a big step for me."

Philadelphia Daily News

In his second bullpen session since he went on the 15-day disabled list, Brad Lidge threw more than three dozen pain-free pitches yesterday. Afterward, he said his right knee felt fine. "I threw 42 pitches and put something on them, and I felt really good again, so that's pretty darn encouraging," Lidge said. "We have to kind of see how I feel when I wake up."

If the Phillies' closer does not experience swelling or inflammation this morning, he could be headed for a minor-league rehabilitation assignment, perhaps as soon as tonight in Reading. The earliest Lidge could come off the disabled list is Tuesday, when the Phillies play at Tampa Bay. "If he feels 100 percent, we'll probably start him on a rehab," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We're not going to put him on the mound until he absolutely feels 100 percent. It makes no sense to rush him."

Philadelphia Inquirer

Phillies place Ibanez on disabled list

Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge has gone on the 15-day disabled list because of a sprained right knee.

The move was announced before Tuesday's series opener at the New York Mets and was retroactive to Sunday.

Falling in line with the offensive members of the 2009 All-Early Disappointment Team, we must not forget about the pitchers. The pitchers who have destroyed our ratios, neglected to notch us Wins or Saves, and have a K/9 that makes Jamie Moyer chuckle. We drafted them early and often, and in return they've slapped us in the face and kicked us in the groin. Who are these sumanumbatches? Let's take a look...

And so the two weeks draws to a close, appropriately, with a look at the Top 10 Closers. A volatile position at the best of times, 2008 seemed to be the craziest season ever in terms of the amount of closers losing their jobs through injury or bad performance.

Closers may be the most intriguing breed of baseball players. They are highly debated, analyzed, ridiculed, and speculated on. Their biggest contribution to a fantasy lineup (Saves), they have little control over. They warm up, get ready to pitch, and when their offense scores a run to put their team up 4, they sit down and go back to spitting seeds while a guy, possibly just as capable, making a fraction of what the closer makes, trots out for the 9th inning. If you tried to describe fully, the modern MLB closer to somebody who had never heard of the concept, they'd look at you like you were crazy.

As many of our Fantasy Baseball '08 Drafts fast approach (or have already approached), it seems like a good time to go over a few of the Dos and Do Nots that could mean the difference between participating in next year's Master's League or next year's Pond Scum League...

A few random, scatterbrained notes about last season, you may or may not have known...

...Brad Lidge recorded 19 Saves from July 17th until the end of he season...

...Ryan Braun bat .450 in 111 AB against Left-Handed Pitchers...

...Despite Coors Field playing more neutral, Matt Holliday hit 25 HR in 327 Home AB, and just 11 HR in 309 Road AB...

I have a guest blogger today...Jordan Flemer, better known as Mugrila over at the Fantasy Baseball Cafe, and a damn fine fantasy player...

Starting Pitching can wait…unless it's Johan

As a follow up to Brendan's pieces on starting pitching, I’d like to plead my case for Johan Santana as well as follow up on my team in the same draft.