Roy Oswalt Cleared to Begin Rehab Assignment

The Phillies have received some good news regarding starting pitcher Roy Oswalt as the righty has been cleared to begin his minor league rehab assignment.  He will start his stint in the minors with the Phils’ Triple-A squad Wednesday night.

Oswalt has been out since June 23^rd when he only made it through 2 innings against the Cardinals before his back forced him to exit early.  Originally, it was unknown how long Oswalt would be out as reports of herniated discs or worse put the righty’s future in question.

But Oswalt ultimately received positive reports when he was later diagnosed with bulging discs and has used a combination of rehab strengthening exercises and anti–inflammatory injections to treat his back.

Before the injury, Oswalt had gone 4-6 for the Phillies over his 13 starts.  During that span, the 33 year old logged 71.1 innings while maintaining a 3.79 ERA.

The Phillies haven’t said exactly how long Oswalt will be in the minors before returning to the team, but he is expected to need 3 to 4 rehab starts before rejoining Philadelphia’s rotation.

While Oswalt’s been sidelined, rookie Vance Worley has taken over his spot in the rotation and has done quite well for the Phils.  The 23 year old has held an ERA and WHIP of 2.02 and 1.19 over his 10 starts, and has only allowed 4 earned runs over his last 6 appearances spanning 38.1 innings.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out That Balls Outta Here.