Mac Attack: Welcome to the Show(case) Edition

(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Welcome back to the Mac Attack, it has been a while hasn't it? But guess, what? I am back again to host a party that never ends. Phillies party that this.

We have a lot to catch up on. In this edition of the Mac Attack: Brett Myers goes down and under the knife, Chan Ho Park, J.A. Happ's ascent into the rotation, and a profile of rookie starter Antonio Bastardo and a look at the rest of the farm system.

All that plus trade rumors.

So let's get this party started.

Brett Myers, one of the Phillies most consistent starters so far this year has gone down will what the doctors are agreed it to be a torn hip labrum. A torn hip labrum is the exact same thing that Chase Utley had received surgery his past offseason to repair.

Here are couple of medical definitions that way you are clear as to what everything is.

What is your labrum? The labrum is a ridge of cartilage that acts similarly to a suction cup and holds the hip joint together. It is similar to the rotator cuff in the shoulder.

What exactly is a torn labrum? According to the Mayo Clinic's Web site, a hip labral tear involves the ring of soft tissue that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint.

So according to the same site, what Myers experienced with the "catching," "popping," "locking," and "clicking" sensations are both signs and symptoms of a hip labral tear.

Enough of the scientific and medical stuff, what does this mean for the Phillies? Myers got his second opinion from the same doctor who did Utley's surgery. The doctor opinion concurred with that of the team's doctor. Myers will need surgery and has elected to have surgery on his hip.

Myers has been put on the 15-Day Disabled List. Myers has been the Phillies most consistent starter so far this season. Myers is 4-3 with an ERA of 4.66 in 63.2 Innings Pitched in 10 starts. In those 10 starts he has struck out 46 while walking 20 giving up 33 runs (all of them earned).

The Phillies called up top pitching prospect, 22 year old left-hander Antonio Bastardo to take Myers' spot in the rotation for now. Bastardo's first major league start will be against Jake Peavy and the San Diego Padres tonight, June 2nd 2009.

More on Bastardo later.

Why is it that every year the Phillies have had bad luck or I should say no luck in finding a decent fifth starter. Kyle Kendrick was a nice fit, but he seemingly forgot how to pitch "Kyle Kendrick ball" or what got him into the rotation in the first place.

This year the fifth starter has not really been a bright spot for the Phillies. But that same fifth spot is starting showing some promise with J.A. Happ. The original fifth starter was Chan Ho Park.

Park is quoted as to pitching like he was still in spring training. That is a big no-no in my opinion. In seven starts this season, Park has gone 1-1 with an ERA hovering near 7.00 in 34.1 innings pitched.

Happ on the other hand has made himself a force to be reckoned with. In 12 games coming out of the bullpen, J.A. was 2-0 with an ERA of a little under 2.50, 2.49 to be exact.

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