There was a time when the Phillies dominance was expected to ride on the backs of four starting pitchers: Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels. But dominance is heavy -- it's, like 287 pounds -- and it tweaked Oswalt's back. The back inflammation has kept the right-hander out of action since June 24. According to Bob Brookover at the Philadelphia Inquirer, though, Oswalt will return this weekend:
Phils rotation for SF: Lee Thur., Worley Friday, Hamels Saturday, Oswalt Sunday.
That's the rotation for the Phillies' trip to San Francisco, where somehow the Giants miss Halladay, yet still have to face four danged good pitchers. That's kind of the Phillies' thing.
Oswalt was in the middle of an okay 2011, with a 3.79 ERA in 71-1/3 innings, but his strikeout rate was way down, moving from 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings to 5.3 strikeouts per nine innings. If the back was bothering Oswalt enough to make him miss over a month, though, that certainly could have had something to do with it.
Oswalt made two minor league rehab starts in triple-A, throwing ten innings and allowing three runs, one home run, four walks, and eight strikeouts.