Phillies’ Ryan Howard to begin rehab stint
Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman Ryan Howard can be back in the line-up as early as Monday. Howard has been on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle since August 2nd. He will be sent on a rehab assignment to the Phillies’ Triple-A team in Lakewood.
Howard was the NL MVP in 2006 and he was batting .292 and with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs when he got hurt. His return would be a huge lift for the Phillies who now lead the National League Wild Card race by two games over the San Francisco Giants and are trailing the NL East leading Atlanta Braves by two games.
The Phillies have pulled out all the stops to contend for the World Series this year. First they landed pitching ace Roy Halladay in a blockbuster trade between the Phillies, the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Phillies then acquired 32-year old ace Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros in exchange for prospects.
Prior to Howard’s game in Lakewood, the team will retire the number 29 which was Howard’s number while he played for the team in 2002. Howard’s number will be the first number retired by the BlueClaws in their history for a former player.
The Phillies were struggling heading into the All-Star break, out of both the division lead and the wild card spot. However the Phillies have gone 21-11 since the All-Star break, winning 20 out of their last 25 games. They are giving the Braves a scare in the division. The Braves are trying to win their first division title since 2006 but their lead has shrunk as the Phillies have continued to roll. With their top slugger in Ryan Howard back in their line-up, the Braves will be pushed to the limit in the race for the division title.
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