Scott Mathieson

Before, when Scott Mathieson just wanted to play catch, it required soaking his right arm in a hot tub for 20 minutes and numerous arm stretches to prepare. Then, after he was finished tossing the ball, he had to ice the arm for 20 more minutes. "It's not like that anymore," Mathieson said this week from Clearwater, Fla., where he lives and works out. "I go out, do my thing, and I'm done. I go home, and my arm doesn't bother me. It's definitely a relief. " Mathieson is trying a comeback few pitchers have made.

"Red Means Go" is the Phillies' slogan this year. Lately, it's been more like "Green Means Stop. " The Phillies' green rotation - which includes three pitchers with a combined total of 16 career major-league starts - is going through typical growing pains. And the club is being stopped on a daily basis. Scott Mathieson, the latest player to receive on-the-job-training, made his major-league debut last night. The 22-year-old righthander, just promoted from double-A Reading, went six scuffling innings and allowed four runs on eight hits as the Phillies suffered their season-worst sixth consecutive loss, a 7-2 setback by the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays in front of 35,939 fans at Citizens Bank Park.

With the addition of righthander Scott Mathieson to the active roster, the Phillies now boast two Canadians (infielder Pete Orr is the other.) Only the Minnesota Twins (Justin Morneau, Rene Tosoni) and the Seattle Mariners (Erik Bedard, Michael Saunders) can say the same. The all-time leader in games played by a Canadian is 1,988 by Larry Walker. He's the hits and home runs leader, too. But Ferguson Jenkins is the only Canadian-born player in the Hall of Fame. He, of course, began his career with the Phillies in 1965.

SAN FRANCISCO - Yet another part of Placido Polanco's aging body is ailing, and it could mean more trouble for the Phillies third baseman. Polanco was removed from Saturday's 2-1 victory with soreness in his left hip. He will miss at least the next few days, if not more. Polanco will undergo an MRI and X-rays, likely Monday in Los Angeles, to determine the severity of the injury. Whatever it is, Polanco said it has been bothering him for a month. "I've had it for a while now," Polanco said, "and I guess it just got worse, sprinting and running.

READING - The Reading Phillies rolled out the heavy lumber last night in their biggest offensive explosion of the season, a 13-7 win over the Harrisburg Senators in the Eastern League. Kevin Barker and John Castellano each hit two home runs as the Phillies matched their season high in runs and set a season high with 18 hits. The Phillies have won eight straight, another season high. Barker went 5 for 5 with two doubles in addition to the two homers, scored five times, and drove in three runs.

LOUISVILLE - In his first start since being optioned to triple A, Gavin Floyd pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts last night as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons beat the Louisville Bats, 5-1, in the International League. The former Phillies righthander allowed seven hits, a run and a walk. Reading 4, Binghamton 3 READING - Scott Mathieson struck out eight in eight innings and ripped a two-run homer as the Phillies beat the Mets in the Eastern League. Tim Moss' solo homer in the eighth proved to be the game-winner.

MOOSIC, Pa. - Scott Mathieson struck out seven in six innings to lead the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons to a 9-2 victory over the Toledo Mud Hens last night in the International League. The 22-year-old righthander, who went 0-2 for the Phillies last month, held the Mud Hens scoreless through five innings in his first triple-A start. Mathieson allowed six hits, a walk and two earned runs. Dmitri Young of the Detroit Tigers, making a rehabilitation start, had an RBI single for Toledo.

Lou Collier's two-run home run backed solid pitching by starter Robert Ellis as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons beat the Pawtucket Red Sox, 5-1, in the International League last night. Acquired in a minor-league trade with Cleveland on June 3, Ellis won his third consecutive start with the Barons, striking out six in 7 2/3 innings. Jim Crowell nailed down his 10th save with three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Reading 3, Erie 2 ERIE - Scott Youngbauer's two-out solo homer in the 10th inning gave the Phillies an Eastern League win over the SeaWolves.

Playing at: Lakewood (A) Position: Pitcher MLB service: None. Height: 6-5. Weight: 210. Age: 23 Born: Jan. 5, 1988 in Henderson, Nev. Bats: Right. Throws: Right. How obtained: Drafted by the Phillies in the sixth round (196th overall) in 1998. This season: Began in the starting rotation before being moved into the bullpen. Has gone 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA. Pitched well in two starts, but was roughed up in the other.

Former Phillies reliever J.C. Romero has settled a lawsuit with the makers and distributors of what he says is a tainted supplement that caused a positive drug test in 2008, according to a report. Romero had to serve a 50-game suspension at the start of the 2009 season and filed a lawsuit in April in New Jersey against GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Ergopharm and Proviant Technologies. "I didn't cheat," Romero told the New York Daily News . "Some other people were being negligent and I had to pay the price.

Former Phillies reliever J.C. Romero has settled a lawsuit with the makers and distributors of what he says is a tainted supplement that caused a positive drug test in 2008, according to a report. Romero had to serve a 50-game suspension at the start of the 2009 season and filed a lawsuit in April in New Jersey against GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Ergopharm and Proviant Technologies. "I didn't cheat," Romero told the New York Daily News . "Some other people were being negligent and I had to pay the price.

The thought of Ryan Madson ever accepting arbitration and returning to Philadelphia on a one-year contract was enough to elicit a hearty scoff from Scott Boras. "Ryan was always going to remain a free agent," Boras said last month at the winter meetings in Dallas. It's just that Madson probably never envisioned remaining a free agent this long. Once the closers carousel spun with the Phillies' signing of Jonathan Papelbon in November and (mostly) stopped with Boston's acquisition of Andrew Bailey in a trade last week, Madson was still without a spot.

AFTER A litany of elbow injuries that included two serious surgeries, the mere fact that righthander Scott Mathieson was in a position to sign with a team in Japan counts as an accomplishment in itself. Yesterday, the Phillies granted his release so he can sign with the Yomiuri Giants. Mathieson, 27, had been with the organization since 2002, when it selected him in the 17th round of the amateur draft. He started eight games for the Phillies in 2006 before embarking on a frustrating series of surgeries that left his career in jeopardy.

Scott Mathieson always could light up a radar gun, but in his limited time in the big leagues with the Phillies he never could consistently retire hitters. Now, the 6-foot-3 righthander will try his luck in Japan, where the Yomiuri Giants are apparently willing to give him a chance. To accommodate his move to Japan, the Phillies released Mathieson from their 40-man roster Tuesday. The Giants are Japan's version of the New York Yankees, and Mathieson said during spring training in February that they had offered him a job to be their closer last winter.

LOS ANGELES - The 35-year-old body of Placido Polanco has progressively failed him, beginning with the bone spurs in his right elbow that required surgery last winter, to the bulging disk in his back that sent him to the disabled list earlier this season, and the news now is no better. Polanco has a sports hernia, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Monday. Surgery could be next. First, Polanco will receive an anti-inflammatory injection Tuesday in Philadelphia and team doctors will examine him Friday to see if the pain is manageable.

SAN FRANCISCO - Yet another part of Placido Polanco's aging body is ailing, and it could mean more trouble for the Phillies third baseman. Polanco was removed from Saturday's 2-1 victory with soreness in his left hip. He will miss at least the next few days, if not more. Polanco will undergo an MRI and X-rays, likely Monday in Los Angeles, to determine the severity of the injury. Whatever it is, Polanco said it has been bothering him for a month. "I've had it for a while now," Polanco said, "and I guess it just got worse, sprinting and running.

DENVER - Thanks to Sarah Madson 's delivery, Brad Lidge got a chance to do what he loves most Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field. Ryan Madson , the Phillies' normal closer, left in the morning to be with his expectant wife in Los Angeles, and Lidge knew that might lead to his first save opportunity of the season. "I knew Madson was headed to L.A. this morning before the game," Lidge said. "I didn't know for certain who was going to be closing. We probably looked at matchups.

DENVER - Thanks to Sarah Madson 's delivery, Brad Lidge got a chance to do what he loves most Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field. Ryan Madson , the Phillies' normal closer, left in the morning to be with his expectant wife in Los Angeles, and Lidge knew that might lead to his first save opportunity of the season. "I knew Madson was headed to L.A. this morning before the game," Lidge said. "I didn't know for certain who was going to be closing. We probably looked at matchups.

Young, ready - and rested. That was the working description of Antonio Bastardo's and Michael Stutes' status on another pristine night for Phillies lefthander Cliff Lee. Young, ready - and untested. That is the ongoing reality for these two. No one ever planned for Bastardo and Stutes to be sharing the closer's job for the Phillies - not this year, anyway. When you are down to Plan D, you are - by definition - making it up as you go along. Even if it is only a couple of days until Ryan Madson's injured hand heals up, this is still improvisation.