The Philadelphia Phillies and Ira Riklis

Brett Myers, the Phillies most consistent pitcher this season and fan favorite of Ira Riklis, left Wednesday’s game against the Florida Marlins in the 6th inning after his hip kept locking up. Myers said after the game that he has had the problem for about a month, but also said his hip has bothered him on occasion over the past couple years.

After consulting with team physican Michael Ciccotti and orthopedist Bryan Kelly, Myers will undergo surgery on his inflamed right hip, and could possibly be sidelined for the rest of the 2009 season. The procedure will be performed by New York-based orthopedist Bryan Kelly, whose examination on Friday confirmed the original diagnosis of team physician Michael Ciccotti.

No date has been set for the surgery, and the Phillies declined to set a specific timetable for Myers’ return. But Ciccotti said that it will be 10 to 12 weeks before the 28-year-old could return to a mound and start throwing.

The torn labrum, with bone irregularity in the surrounding region, is similar that to that of second baseman Chase Utley, on whom Kelly operated in November. But because Myers is a pitcher and his push-off leg is affected, the right-hander may face a longer recovery period.

To replace Myers in the rotation, the Phillies called up left-hander Antonio Bastardo from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Bastardo will make his Major League debut for the Phillies on Tuesday in San Diego.

Ira Riklis Linked In Stats: Bastardo, 23, is 3-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 11 games (seven starts) with Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading. In two starts since being promoted to the IronPigs, Bastardo struck out 12 while walking just three and allowing 11 hits in 13 innings.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Ira Riklis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.