Ruiz Returns to the Phillies

Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz was officially from the disabled list, and will presumably start Friday night’s series opener in Atlanta against the Braves.

Ruiz, who has been out for about two weeks with a back injury, is swapping spots with backup backstop Brian Schneider, who was moved to the disabled list after suffering a hamstring strain during Wednesday night’s game against the Florida Marlins.

It’s been mostly bad news for the Phillies when it comes to the disabled list, but Chooch’s presence back in the lineup is a sight for sore bats, despite the fact that he is hitting a not-so-robust .226/.310/.371 with two homers and nine RBIs in 21 games this season. However, him being back in the lineup means it’s three or four fewer at bats per game from the likes of Dane Sardinha and Schneider, who didn't exactly make us forget about Carlos.

With Ruiz back in the fold, the bottom half of the lineup, which I lamented about earlier this week, is a bit deeper and not so automatic for opposing pitchers. Despite his struggles so far this season, it’s not unreasonable to think that he’ll be more likely to resemble the hitter that led the Phillies in on-base percentage in 2010, and not the one who was hitless in the eight games leading up to his injury this season.

Now, if only a couple other Phillies’ hitters could get back to the big club -- Chase and Dom, I am looking in your direction.

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