By John Nalbone/For The TimesThe Times, TrentonFollow0Tweet
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Mike Dill/For The TimesPhillies center fielder Shane Victorino watches his first inning double hit off the right field wall during Saturday night's injury rehab appearance with Double-A Reading. Victorino, on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained ligament of his right thumb, went 3-for-5 against the Thunder.TRENTON - Unlike his Double-A rehab running mate Brad Lidge, Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino has no worries about his job being there for him when he returns from the disabled list.
Although John Mayberry Jr. has filled in admirably with a .333 batting average and 12 RBIs since July 5, Victorino picked up right where he left off when he sprained his thumb in Toronto during last night’s minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Reading at Waterfront Park.
Victorino batted leadoff and went 3-for-5 with an RBI as the designated hitter in a 13-2 Reading rout in front of another overflow crowd totaling 8,137.
“I can’t complain,’’ said Victorino, who is eligible to come off the 15-day DL Tuesday. “I am going to take as many at bats as I can. Taking BP (batting practice) I felt something at the top of my finger in the capsule where I had a lot of swelling, but the pain was tolerable and did not get any worse throughout the game. It was a positive step for me.’’
The two-time Gold Glove-winner confirmed he will return today with the goal of playing all nine innings in center field.
Mike Dill/For The TimesShane Victorino takes off for first base after hitting a sharp grounder to third. Victorino was safe with an infield single, one of his three hits.In three games before being shelved, the 30-year-old Victorino was 7-for-11 and was at Chase Field in Phoenix (Az.) as a member of the National League All-Star team.
Factoring in last night’s appearance, a seemingly fresh Victorino has 10 hits in his last 16 at bats against live pitching.
Victorino smashed a double off the right field wall in his first at bat and was credited with an infield single in the second inning, which Trenton third baseman Rob Lyerly promptly threw away for the first of his four errors.
After grounding out to shortstop in the sixth inning, the switch-hitting Victorino continued batting from the left side and laced a run-scoring single into right-center field against Thunder switch-pitcher Pat Venditte to stake the R-Phils to a 6-2 lead.
Venditte squared things up in the eighth by getting Victorino to tap harmlessly to first base in his final at bat.
“I was obviously swinging the bat well and playing well (at the time of the injury),’’ Victorino said. “Any time you get hurt it’s frustrating. I felt like it was another big letdown for the team having to go on the DL again, but knock on wood I’ll stay injury-free the rest of the season. Unfortunately, it was a freak accident and something I hope never happens to me again. Things happen when you play the game hard.’’
Lidge, meanwhile, entered the game in the seventh inning and needed only 12 pitches _ seven fastballs, four sliders and a curveball _ to retire the Thunder (50-43) in order.
The performance by Lidge, who has not pitched all season due to a strained right rotator cuff, was in stark contrast to Thursday night’s meltdown that featured two hit batters, a walk and three wild pitches.
Lidge, 34, also is expected to return today in the first back-to-back test of his five-game rehab.
Mike Dill/For The TimesPhiladelphia Phillies reliever Brad Lidge worked a perfect seventh inning for Double-A Reading against the Thunder Saturday night.“Every time you go out you are trying to accomplish something that gets you closer to Philly,’’ Lidge said. “Last time out I was trying to get more on the fastball and the control wasn’t great. This time I wanted to get the control better, and it was, and when I can make adjustments from outing to outing it is a sign things are going well and I’m not too far off.’’
The simultaneous appearances of Victorino and Lidge marked the first time Trenton has hosted two teammates on injury rehab in the same game.
On August 25-26 of 2007, catcher Paul Lo Duca and outfielder Endy Chavez of the New York Mets played against the Thunder, but on alternate days.
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Scans of Thunder outfielder DeAngelo Mack’s injured hand revealed a bone bruise and will not require surgery. Mack is on the disabled list and has not participated in any baseball-related activities on the homestand … One day after seeing his career-high 26-game on-base streak end, Trenton leadoff hitter Ray Kruml wasted no time starting a new string by working a walk in his first at bat against Reading starter Joe Esposito and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Austin Romine … Third baseman Bradley Suttle has missed the last two games with arm stiffness.
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