Ryan Howard could miss up to 3 weeks with sprained ankle

MIAMI - You know the Phillies are banged up when the middle of their order features Carlos Ruiz, who before last night's game had batted sixth one time in his career.

With manager Charlie Manuel facing the possibility of 3 weeks without slugger Ryan Howard, convention is no longer an option. The Phillies placed their first baseman on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with a sprained left ankle that will sideline him for at least 12 games, leaving them to make due without yet another star.

While Howard is eligible to return Aug. 17, the Phillies did not outline a specific timetable for his recovery. In 2008, shortstop Jimmy Rollins missed 3 weeks with a sprained ankle. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said yesterday he wasn't sure how Howard's sprain compares to the one Rollins' suffered.

"We're hopeful he'll be back in 2 weeks," Amaro said. "It may be longer than that. We're not sure. It depends on how quickly he can heal."

The move does not come as a surprise to anybody who saw Howard's ankle buckle when he stepped on second base after scrambling back to beat a throw in the Phillies' 6-4 win over the Nationals Sunday in Washington. Even Manuel, who after the game said a DL stint was unlikely and that he was holding out hope that Howard wouldn't miss any time at all, realized he had misjudged the severity of the injury after watching a replay on television.

"I'd definitely say it's a little more serious than I thought it was the other day," Manuel said. "Once I saw it on TV - I didn't realize how it hit. His ankle came under him and all of his weight was on it then. Evidently, we got back to the hotel and it started swelling up more and, according to the trainer, it puffed up pretty good."

Howard traveled with the team to Florida, but returned to Philadelphia yesterday morning for a visit with team doctor Michael Ciccotti. The exam revealed damage to the tendons on the lateral (outside) of the ankle, which is the most common type of sprain, but no damage to the medial (inner) side.

Howard declined to comment to reporters outside the Rothman Institute following his exam.

"It could have been much worse," Amaro said.