Placido Polanco initially planned to play in the All-Star game instead of taking the time to rest his injured back, but he was eventually scratched from the NL’s lineup after meeting with Charlie Manuel and now the Phillies have put him on the disabled list.
Because the move is retroactive to Polanco’s last game on July 5 he’s eligible to return next week, but that seems unlikely given that he’s struggled while playing through the pain for much of the season.
Presumably this isn’t something that a little time off is going to fix, as Polanco ended the first half in a 0-for-15 slump and has hit just .183 in 29 games dating back to June 1.
Wilson Valdez and Michael Martinez will split time at third base with Polanco out, which is the bad news. The good news is that the Phillies replaced Polanco on the roster by activating closer Ryan Madson from the DL, so their latest batch of health-related moves is at least a net gain.
Madson was dominant before injuring his hand in mid-June and his return in the first step toward what could be an outstanding Phillies bullpen down the stretch if Brad Lidge can return soon from his arm problems to join Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes in late-inning roles setup roles.
