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On the latest edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Tug and I discuss rehabbing Phillies players from recent years, some stand out pitching prospects at Class A, injured OF Kyrell Hudson and we deliver an exclusive update on rehabbing Phils reliever Justin De Fratus . Additionally, we share a special announcement about the show. Check out the media player below to listen to the full show, or download it by clicking HERE . Additionally, click HERE to listen to previous episodes of the program. You can also subscribe on iTunes .

Back in 2008, Phillies lefty reliever J.C. Romero tested positive for banned substances and was subsequently suspended for the first 50 games of the 2009 season. Some felt the findings in Romero's test tainted the World Series victory by Philadelphia that year. Romero contested that he had only used supplements purchased at local vitamin chains and the companies responsible for those items should be held accountable for mislabeling their products. Romero took his issues to court, filing lawsuits in New Jersey Superior Court in early 2009 that named GNC and Vitamin Shoppe as defendants in addition to the manufacturing companies, Ergopharm and Proviant Technologies. According to the NY Daily News , testing done on the vitamins revealed that they were tainted with the banned substance, androstenedione, that Romero tested positive for. This month, nearly three years later, Romero has reached a settlement, which Romero hopes will clear his name and provide closure for Philadelphia...

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced after today's game that Vance Worley will officially be activated to the Major League roster. Worley is expected to start for the Phillies on Saturday in Seattle. In a subsequent move, JC Romero has been designated for assignment. According to MLB regulations, the Phillies have 10 days to move Romero's contract. If he is not traded or claimed, Amaro says Romero will be given an opportunity to stay within the organization. The left-handed Romero had posted a 3.86 ERA with no decisions and a .262 batting average against in 24 appearances for Philadelphia this season. Outstanding efforts by younger hurlers like Antonio Bastardo (3-0, 1.05 ERA, .129 BAA) and Mike Stutes (0-0, 2.25 ERA, .174 BAA) have virtually pushed Romero out of his position on the Phillies pitching staff. Last month, when Romero made a rehab appearance with the Lakewood BlueClaws, I asked him about the progress of his fellow lefty Bastardo. The interview can...

Ask anyone that knows a little something about the Phillies and they'll likely agree that the premiere left-hander out of the team's bullpen has become Antonio Bastardo. In recent years that title could have gone to JC Romero, but not any longer. As the 25-year-old Bastardo has matured, he has developed into a go-to guy on the Phillies pitching staff. As Romero, who turns 35-years-old at the end of next week, has aged, he has lost velocity and his ability to dominate opposing batters. Romero held opponents to a .191 batting average in his first 4 seasons with the Phillies, from 2007-2010. This year, things are much different as Romero has served up a .283 batting average against in 17 appearances. Prior to the 2011 season, Bastardo had held opponents to a .264 batting average in 31 Major League games over 2 seasons. But in 17 games this year, batters have posted a significantly lower .145 average against the Dominican Republic native. When Romero stopped through Lakewood a coup...

LAKEWOOD, NJ- With Phillies' left-handed reliever JC Romero on hand, the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws locked down a win to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Mets affiliate, the Savannah Sand Gnats, on Tuesday night. Romero was on a rehab assignment after being placed on the disabled list on April 19th with a right calf strain. Set to throw one inning, the first batter that Romero faced put up quite a fight and refused to be retired by the left-hander's best off-speed stuff. Savannah left fielder Cory Vaughn, son of former Major League player Greg Vaughn, worked a full count and fouled off many of Romero's toughest offerings until he worked a walk. "Right from the get go I had a great battle with (Cory) Vaughn. I faced his dad and I guess I got his daddy out, but I couldn't get the son," Romero said. Romero faced Greg Vaughn three times in regular season MLB action, and retired him all three times. Good memory by JC. Unable to retire the younger Vaughn at the pla...

Another key piece to the Phillies' run of four straight National League East titles will be moving onward. According to CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury , Phillies first base coach Davey Lopes will not be returning for the 2011 season. Lopes and the Phillies are far apart in a dispute over compensation, according to Lopes. "We just had a difference of opinion on what I felt my worth was. That's all," Lopes told Salisbury. "It was a really tough decision because I loved my time in Philadelphia, I loved working for [manager] Charlie Manuel, and I have the utmost respect for everyone in that organization." Lopes, widely considered a base stealing guru, helped the Phillies excel on the base paths during his four-year tenure coaching first base with the team. In each season with Lopes guiding their runners, the Phillies led the National League in stolen base percentage. Lopes led the NL in stolen bases twice during his playing days in Los Angeles, in 1975 and 19...

Below, I've posted some never before heard audio of JC Romero speaking exclusively with PhoulBallz.com last season. I asked JC to talk about his most memorable baseball moment prior to becoming a professional ball player. JC spoke of a time he learned an important lesson as a hitter in college at the University of West Florida. The lesson was to not "hot dog" or show up the opposition on the baseball field. . To check out more exclusive PhoulBallz.com interviews with the likes of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr., Carlos Ruiz, Joe Blanton, Mark Parent, prospect Jonathan Singleton and dozens more, click HERE .

For the third straight season, the Phillies will be battling it out for a chance to move on to the World Series with a team from California. This year the Dodgers sit at home, while a new contender, the San Francisco Giants, has stepped up. As the Phillies look to become the first National League team to win 3 straight National League Championship Series, the Giants will seek to surprise many around baseball, as they are widely considered the underdog. The focus in this series will be on the pitchers and each team will send its ace to the mound for game 1. For the Giants, it will be Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who tossed a complete game shut out against Atlanta in his postseason debut last week. For the Phillies, it will be Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, who hurled a no-hitter against Cincinnati in his postseason debut last week. Neither pitcher expects a repeat of their gems from his last time out, but that doesn't mean both men won't be trying. Offense is expecte...

The Philadelphia Phillies (89-61) and Atlanta Braves (86-64) will meet 6 more times over the final 12 games of the season to potentially decide the winner of the National League East. The Phils sport a 3 game lead over Atlanta, and could lock in their strangle hold on the division as a 3-game series starts in Philadelphia on Monday night. Atlanta has won 5 of the last 6 meetings with Philadelphia, but the Phillies have gone 18-4 since being swept at home by the Astros last month. A key of the Phils' strong run is their trio of ace starting pitchers. Since the Phillies acquired Roy Oswalt from Houston July 29th, Oswalt, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels have posted a combined 16-6 record. The three hurlers have also combined for a 2.27 ERA in August and September. The Braves, who have dropped 9 of 18 games this month, will send Jair Jurrjens to the mound to change the team's fortunes. The Phillies will counter with left-hander Cole Hamels, who has a 6.39 ERA in 3 starts against the B...

In a series with playoff implications, the teams tied for the Wild Card lead will face off for three games as the Giants (67-52) visit the Phillies (66-51) starting Tuesday night. Chase Utley, fresh off a rehab assignment in Clearwater, Florida, is expected to be activated from the disabled list for this series. Utley was recovering from a fractured thumb. Ryan Howard (sprained ankle), who is also eligible to be activated from the disabled list is likely to play a rehab game or two prior to returning to the Phillies' lineup. Colorado won just 1 of 3 regular season games in Philadelphia last year, before the Phillies defeated the Rockies 3-1 in the National League Division Series. Since August 3rd, Giants starters are 0-7 with a 5.88 ERA in 12 games. Barry Zito will try to right the ship as he takes the mound in the series opener. Philadelphia will counter with Roy Oswalt, who will be making his second home start as a Phillie. Read on for details on the pitching match ups and loads ...

The first place Phillies (20-13) visit third place Milwaukee (15-19) for a three game series, starting Friday night. The Brewers have been plagued by inconsistency this season, as they've become one of four teams since 1900 to have scored 17 or more runs three times, and get shut out three times, within a 30-game stretch. The Phillies sport a .588 winning percentage on the road, which is second best in the National League, while the Brewers have a league worst home record of 4-11. Milwaukee defeated Philadelphia in 4 of 7 games between the two teams in 2009, but the Phillies won 2 of the 4 games at Miller Park last September. Read ahead for all the details on the pitching match ups for the series and other key info. Friday, 8:10pm. Jamie Moyer (4-2, 4.38 ERA) vs. Randy Wolf (3-2, 3.95 ERA). Moyer is 10-5 in his career against the Brewers with a 3.77 ERA in 24 games. In 3 road starts this year, Moyer has a 2-1 record with a 4.50 ERA. Prince Fielder is 2-for-11 (.182 avg) with a do...

After a brief bullpen session today, in which "Jay" Happ threw only 20 pitches, the decision was made by team officials, coaches and manager Charlie Manuel to place Happ on the disabled list. Happ already had his turn in the rotation skipped and he would have pitched this coming Saturday in Arizona, if his forearm strain improved enough. However, Happ is still experiencing discomfort and the team would rather allow more time for recovery than choose to push the lefty pitcher too much too soon. Unsure of what option they'd choose to fill the void on Saturday, if Happ was unable to pitch, the Phillies pulled Drew Carpenter from his start for triple A Lehigh Valey tonight. That would have allowed Carpenter to be rested and ready if the big league club needed him. JC Romero is with the team in Atlanta, and has been activated from the disabled list after being examined by the Phillies' medical staff. Romero will fill Happ's roster spot and fill the bullpen spot vacated...

Phillies closer Brad Lidge experienced a set back this week, as he began experiencing soreness in his elbow. Lidge, who had multiple off-season surgeries (elbow & knee procedures) was dealing with inflammation of his elbow and was prescribed a cortisone shot to alleviate the problem. According to team physician Michael Ciccotti, the current issue is not related to the area that was surgically repair since last season. Dealing with tendinitis, Lidge had surgery on the inner part of his right elbow. The current soreness is on the outer part of the elbow and is reportedly typical for Lidge during spring training. Lidge's velocity in recent appearances has not topped 90 MPH, which could be attributed to the pesky soreness that he is dealing with. Ciccotti stated that Lidge has shown no returning issues where the off-season surgeries were performed and that no MRI will be needed to examine the elbow, because there is no structural damage. Ciccotti also told reporters that the estima...

Here is your tour around Phillies news land... After yesterday's game, BJ Rosenberg was sent down to minor league camp following his scoreless inning against the Tigers. Rosenberg spent time as closer for both the single A level Lakewood BlueClaws and the double A Reading Phillies in 2009. JC Romero threw some batting practice today. Facing live batters, while mixing in his slider is a positive step, but the lefty reliever still is not game ready and appears to be a considerable amount of time behind another rehabbing Phils pitcher, Brad Lidge. There's no doubt, however, that the Phillies and their phans would gladly sacrifice missing Romero for 2-3 weeks, to start the season, if it means he can stay healthy for the remainder of the 2010 campaign. Lidge is scheduled to face minor leaguers on the Phillies' off day tomorrow. Combined, Cole Hamels and Roy Halladay have put together the following stats this spring- 6 games, 20 2/3 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, 1.31 ERA, 23 st...

News landed on the Phillies world on Monday that JC Romero, who had off-season elbow tendon surgery, would not be ready for opening day, and that Romero was now hoping to be ready for the Phillies' first homestand in the second week of the season. Romero does not expect to face live batters until March 22nd. Speaking to the media, Romero said, "I want to break camp with the team, but I realize that time is against me. That's not good, but I'm very optimistic about being with the team by the first homestand." The Romero setback frees up an extra spot for those pitchers in camp battling for a place with the big club. Guys on the bubble for two open spots include Dave Herndon, a Rule 5 pick from the Angels, who would have to be offered back to Anaheim if he doesn't make the 25-man opening day roster. Also up for a spot are Scott Mathieson, Sergio Escalona, Antonio Bastardo, Mike Zagurski and whichever of the two men competing for the 5th starter spot (Kyle Kendri...

Lots of talk, no moves at all for the Phillies on day 1 of the 2009 Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. Relief pitching should be the priority. The Phillies are in the market to retain some of their own, as well as add some players who have become free agents from other team. Near the top of the list seem to be Chan Ho Park returning and perhaps Brandon Lyon, the former Tiger and D-Back. The Phillies met with Park's agent Jeff Borris on Monday, and talks remain ongoing. In 374 career games, the 30 year old Lyon has a 4.20 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. Trade rumors mainly surrounded only one current Phillie...Joe Blanton. ESPN's Jayson Stark reported that the Phils quietly let other teams know they'd listen to offers for Blanton. Ideally, they do not wish to trade him, but if the deal could improve the club and/or offer enough salary relief, it could interest the National League champs. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters that re-signing Pedro Martinez is something that cou...

There were a couple surprises with the announcement of the Phillies' NLDS 25 man roster. Miguel Cairo is in, Eric Bruntlett is out. Based on Cairo's recent success and Bruntlett's season-long offensive struggles I feel it's the right call, but I didn't think Charlie Manuel would choose to advance without Bruntlett. Charlie always seemed to hold Bruntlett in high regard and many people thought Bruntlett's positional versatility and supposed speed would keep him there. That's not the case, and I was surprised. Also on the Phillies NLDS roster is Antonio Bastardo. The young lefty with less than 24 innings pitched in the majors made the roster over guys with years of experience like Clay Condrey, Tyler Walker and Jack Taschner. Bastardo is a hard throwing lefty, and that's what Manuel wanted for the bullpen. Kyle Kendrick also made the cut and will be in the Phils' bullpen. Kendrick earned a spot, posting a 3.00 ERA in his 5 September/October outings (2...

JC Romero made his long awaited return on Monday night, but it wasn't enough to help the Phillies reduce their magic number. Romero threw a scoreless inning, but Cole Hamels still took his 10th loss of the season as the Phillies dropped the series opener to Houston, 8-2. Going into the game, the Phillies appeared to be a lock to beat the Astros with Hamels taking on Yorman Bazardo, but baseball is as great as it is because of games like last night. Games are not won on paper, or because the World Series MVP is facing a player who many would describe as "a no-name". Games are won on the field, and it's quite necessary to play each game on the schedule. Tonight, "Jay" Happ will try to be the stopper for the Phillies in game 2 of the series at Citizens Bank Park. Happ has a 2.47 ERA in his last 9 starts. In a more perfect world, with a more perfect closer (eh-hem, 2008 Brad Lidge!), the Phillies would surely have another NL East division title locked up already...

The Phillies continue interleague play tonight when they visit the Rays for the first time since the 2008 World Series. Tampa has won 10 of 15 games all time in this interleague rivalry. Take a look below for pitching match ups and other key notes. Tuesday, 7:08pm. Jamie Moyer (4-6, 6.35 ERA) vs. David Price (1-1, 3.46 ERA). In his career against the Rays, Moyer is 8-4 with a 2.85 ERA in 15 starts. Moyer has thrown 6 innings, or better, in 7 consecutive starts. His ERA in those 7 games is 4.62. Carlos Pena is 10-for-20 in his career against Moyer with 2 homers and 6 RBI. Price was the 1st overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft. Price closed out Tampa's game 2 win over the Phillies, in the World Series last year. Price, at 23 years old, is half of Jamie Moyer's age. Wednesday, 7:08pm. Joe Blanton (4-3, 5.28 ERA) vs. Matt Garza (4-5, 3.83 ERA). Blanton has a 2-3 record and 6.05 ERA in 8 career starts against the Rays. Blanton is 3-0 with a 4.04 ERA in his last 7 starts. Jason B...

Today is the day. He's FREE! JC Romero's suspension for testing positive for a banned substance has been served. He is eligible to pitch tonight. To make room on the roster, the Phillies have optioned Sergio Escalona back to the minors. For some reason, Jack Taschner remains on the team. To read last week's Phoul Ballz interview with JC Romero, click here . Todd Zolecki asserts that Antonio Bastardo is better than Jake Peavy. Check out today's Zo Zone . Superfan John's got loads of updates on current and former Phillies properties. Check out the HomeSide News blog for tons of great notes and info. Acting on a clause in his own contract, Lehigh Valley reliever Mike Koplove has elected to become a free agent. The IronPigPen talks about where he could end up. Check that out here . As revealed today by Greg over on the BlueClaws Blog , Lakewood's mascot Buster is now "tweeting" on Twitter.com. Check that out right here .