NEW YORK – There was plenty of health news as the Phillies reconvened after the All-Star break Friday at Citi Field.
Let’s get to it:
• Roy Halladay continues to make good strides in recovering from mid-May shoulder surgery. He has had eight sessions in which he has long-tossed at 120 feet. He had another one Friday and finished by throwing about a dozen flat-ground pitches to a catcher.
Halladay said he feels good. He said he is close to getting on a mound, though there is no hard timetable for that. One would think it could happen in the coming days, provided he continues to feel good.
Once Halladay gets on a bullpen mound, his recovery will move according to how he feels. If he continues to feel strong, he could move quickly. If he needs time, the Phillies will back him up.
GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is on record as saying he hopes that Halladay can be pitching in the rotation “by September.”
• Reliever Mike Stutes, on the DL with shoulder soreness, recently experienced more symptoms. He had an MRI and a cortisone injection and has been shut down from throwing. There is no timetable for his return.
• Reliever Jeremy Horst is likely done for the season. He had to stop his rehab stint at Triple A because of continued soreness in his left elbow. He was examined by Dr. James Andrews and may have a problem with his flexor-pronator tendon. Horst was administered a platelet-rich plasma injection. Team medical officials will monitor his condition to determine if he can recover without having surgery.
• Nine days after having arthroscopic knee surgery, Ryan Howard was with the team at Citi Field. He played catch during an early workout and is progressing well, according to Scott Sheridan, the club’s head athletic trainer. If all goes well, Howard could return in late August or early September.
• Reliever Mike Adams has not responded well to conservative treatment for his season-ending shoulder problem. He is scheduled to be examined in Los Angeles next week and surgery now looks likely. Adams could miss the start of the 2014 season if he needs surgery. He is signed at $7 million for next season.