Phillies Notes: Phillies' Ruiz says he's ready to go, but team holds him out pending exam

Phillies catcher Brian Schneider slaps the tag on Toronto's Brett Lawrie on a failed double-steal attempt in the third inning. (NATHAN DENETTE / Canadian Press)

By Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: June 18, 2012

TORONTO - Carlos Ruiz sprayed Rogers Centre with line drives in batting practice Saturday morning and walked behind the cage to see Charlie Manuel, who was rendered speechless 12 hours earlier when asked to consider the possibility of life without his catcher.

He need not speak Saturday because his smile said enough.

While the Phillies front office prepared for a lengthy absence, Ruiz said he could play immediately. The team depleted an already short bullpen to recall a third catcher and assistant general manager Scott Proefrock deflected questions, only to say the team would not know Ruiz's status until a Monday examination in Philadelphia.

"They want to make sure that I'm OK," Ruiz said. "[Saturday] when I woke up, maybe I was a little sore. But I feel good. I'm ready to go. We'll see how it goes."

Ruiz said he had a cramp, but Phillies head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan said through a team spokesman that Ruiz suffered a strain in his ribcage.

"Carlos might not feel like it's a strain but our trained medical staff has diagnosed it as such," Sheridan said through a spokesman.

Manuel said Ruiz is a "day-to-day situation." Kratz was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley, which suggested Ruiz would not play before Tuesday. The Phillies are off Monday.

"I'm glad he's not going to miss very much time," Manuel said. "That's good. That's great."

Ruiz missed 21 days with a right ribcage strain in 2009 and said this injury is not similar. He participated fully in batting practice Saturday and showed no ill effects. Initially, a stint on the disabled list was feared because of the original diagnosis from the team.

"Definitely I was worried," Ruiz said, "because you can lose at least two weeks and sometimes more than that. So I'm happy that I feel good."

In spring training, the Phillies objected to injury updates disseminated by Manuel and players. Members of the public relations staff said official injury queries should be directed toward front office executives.

Sheridan was not made available for questions Saturday, and when asked to verify what Manuel and Ruiz said regarding the injury, Proefrock said, "You've already asked them the question. So why are you asking me?"

To make room for Kratz, righthander B.J. Rosenberg was optioned to triple A. That left only five healthy relievers available because Antonio Bastardo remained sidelined with his self-inflicted workout room injury that created a gash above his swollen left eye.

Florida Phillies

Chase Utley (knees) played five innings at second base in a minor-league intrasquad game Saturday and went 2 for 3 with a walk. Utley made his first appearance in the field Friday with four innings of work.

Ryan Howard (Achilles) played in the same game and went 2 for 4 with a home run but did not run the bases. Afterward, he took grounders at first and did some light base- running activity.

In addition, Laynce Nix (calf) went 2 for 5 and played three innings at first base. He ran the bases after the game.

Utley is the lone player to have started an official rehab assignment. But with single-A Clearwater at its all-star break, camp games are the only opportunity for action.