Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Phils put Feliz on DL, recall Happ to replace Eaton

WASHINGTON -- Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz went on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back injury before Philadelphia's game against the Nationals on Tuesday.

Feliz had missed the Phillies' previous three games, so the move is retroactive to Friday. He's hitting .256 with 12 homers and 46 RBIs this season.

"Today when he came to the ballpark, we could tell he was hurting," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said.

Feliz was sent back to Philadelphia on Tuesday and Greg Dobbs was in the lineup at third base.

Dobbs and Eric Bruntlett will split time until one of them "gets hot," Manuel said. "We'll see who wants to play there -- whoever does the best."

The Phillies, who entered the day a half-game behind the first-place New York Mets in the NL East, also recalled infielder Mike Cervanek and left-hander J.A. Happ from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Happ takes the roster spot of struggling right-hander Adam Eaton, who accepted an assignment to the minor leagues Monday.

Happ made two starts for the Phillies earlier this season, with a 3.27 ERA and no decisions. He went 7-6 with a 3.30 ERA in 20 appearances -- 19 starts -- for Lehigh Valley.

Manuel said he planned to have Happ in the bullpen at the outset, but that the pitcher could wind up starting.

"We're trying to get our starting pitching straightened out where we like it," Manuel said. "We're trying to still find the best starting rotation we can put on the field."

Eaton was 4-8 with a 5.80 ERA in 21 games with Philadelphia this season and was dropped from the starting rotation. He allowed three runs in two innings against Atlanta on Sunday.

Eaton signed a $24.5 million, three-year deal as a free agent before last season.


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