CBRACKE
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When closer Brad Lidge felt his surgically-repaired knee grab awkwardly following his first pitch of Saturday’s session, the Phillies feared the worst. While they probably avoided it, the news wasn’t real positive following Lidge’s exam on Sunday.
“No big, new tears, nothing substantially wrong, but enough on the medial side of the knee that would warrant a scope.” Lidge told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We’re going to do a scope and clean out some of the small tears and get that done with, so it won’t bother me during the season.”
It’s expected to take him three to six weeks to recover from the surgery. “The scope has a pretty fast recovery time,” Lidge said. “Ideally, if everything went right I wouldn’t miss any of the season. That’d be a good 4 1/2 weeks (away). But that’ll be based on how it feels, obviously.
This injury comes less than five months since he had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee on October 1.
“The first week (after surgery) you’re off it, and then you start going pretty good after that,” Lidge added. “It’s three to six weeks before games.”
The Phillies paid a significant enough price to acquire Lidge from the Astros in November, giving up a package of prospects highlighted by speedy outfielder Michael Bourn, and now they’ll be faced with the proposition of using Tom Gordon to close out games to start the season.
Gordon fizzled out in the second half of last season, posting a measly 6.1 K/9IP and 2.5 BB/K Rate. He’ll be a mediocre, but necessary handcuff at the draft table this spring. With any luck, Lidge will be back closing out games by the middle of April, but I’m skeptical that he’ll be even remotely close to full strength when he does return to competitive play. Prior to the injury Lidge was sliding in drafts, being selected as late as the 16th round. Now it appears that slide will be justified.
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