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The Philadelphia Phillies had one of the worst seasons hey have had in a long time. It was their first losing season since 2002 along with being the second year in a row that they did not make the playoffs. The main reason I believe all this occurred is the injuries the team faced this season. Can the Phillies mange to stay healthy in 2014?
It is very difficult for a team to stay completely healthy through 162 games. With the Phillies continuing to be an older team, I believe it will be difficult for them to stay healthy. They seem to have the same type of injuries each year. Why wouldn’t this happen next year?
Ryan Howard is coming back from knee surgery. He has been rehabbing by playing in stimulated games. People may think that first basemen don’t have to move like other infielders. They are thrown off the bag all the time, which can injure Howard’s knee in an instant if he bends the wrong way. Surgery is hard to come back from.
The Phillies’ pitchers seem to be the most frequent players to land on the disabled list. Some of the starting pitchers along with the relievers experienced time on the DL.
Roy Halladay, who had been key to the Phillies’ rotation in past years, suffered a shoulder injury and needed surgery. Reliever Mike Adams, who the Phillies were relying on to be the eighth-inning guy, was out for most of the season. The Phillies were down a reliable reliever all season.
The Phillies have a lot to think about. Chase Utley managed to stay healthy this season with his knee condition, but who says he will be able to stay healthy next season? The Phillies should consider becoming a younger team so they won’t need to worry about injuries as much.
Again, every team goes through injuries. However, I don’t believe they go through as many as the Phillies faced this season. Hopefully 2014 will bring better luck.
Rebekah is a Philadelphia Phillies writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow her on Twitter and Google+
