Mayberry, who entered the night hitting .263, with a .321 on-baser percentage and .491 slugging percentage, with nine home runs and 38 strikeouts, normally would be subbing in leftfield for Ibanez or at first base for Ryan Howard. In fact, Howard was out of the lineup after he developed soreness in his right hand during the Phillies' 9-2 victory over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Team doctors examined the first baseman, but general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said the condition is not thought to be serious. Howard is listed as "day-to-day."
Mayberry's presence in centerfield led Manuel to give veteran bench player Gload, who has battled a right hip injury all season, his first start since July 2.
Schneider, meanwhile, made his second straight start at catcher in place of Carlos Ruiz, who participated in pregame activities 2 days after suffering a bruised left testicle when he was hit by an unfortunate bounce on a Roy Halladay pitch in the dirt. Amaro said Ruiz is "still sore," but the catcher appeared to be in good spirits, flashing a thumbs-up sign when asked how he felt.
Other updates
Manuel does not expect Cole Hamels to miss more than one turn in the rotation. The lefty, who had a precautionary MRI after last Friday's start in which he had trouble loosening his shoulder, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today. The Phillies have not announced when Hamels, who was scheduled to pitch against the Nationals tonight, will rejoin the rotation . . . Amaro said third baseman Placido Polanco (sports hernia) could be ready to play when he is eligible to be activated from the disabled list Monday.
