Maybe Ryan Howard’s infection in his Achilles doesn’t set his recovery back at all. Maybe he still returns by mid-May, in which case the Phillies should be fine.
But maybe not. There has to be some concern among the Phillies about what this means for Howard’s recovery. It’s never good when a player has an infection. And if this somehow sets his recovery back a few weeks, a month or more, then the Phillies become just another team that can win the NL East rather than the favorite.
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They have pitching to carry them, especially in a playoff series. But their main everyday players are breaking down, from Howard to Chase Utley to Jimmy Rollins. Their farm system is depleted after several years of trading assets for proven players. Baseball America has no Phillies prospect ranked among its top 68.
This doesn’t mean the Phillies’ rule is coming to an end. But if Howard’s absence goes longer than anticipated, then the NL East might be even more interesting this season.
