Lakewood pitching coach Steve Schrenk watches Joe Blanton warm up for an April rehab start This season, as he recovered from an oblique strain, Joe Blanton showed up in Lakewood, New Jersey for a rehabilitation assignment slimmer and ready to prove himself worthy of the 3-year/$24 million contract extension he signed with the Phillies in January. He showed up more fit and with refined control, as he threw 2 solid innings for the A-level BlueClaws on 13 pitches, 11 of which were strikes. Blanton was well known for being a pitcher who hadn't previously missed time with injuries and, when speaking with PhoulBallz writer Jay Ballz in April, asserted his desire to reach the 200 inning plateau once again this season, despite his late start, missing the entire month of April with the big league Phillies. Blanton's inning totals would regularly be in the 190-200 innings pitched range each full season of his career. He once reached 230 innings pitched for Oakland in 2007, when he led ...