Ready to Be Lights Out Again, So Why Isn't He?

It was like a World Series redux Tuesday as closer Brad Lidge was back on the hill for a scoreless inning pitched against Tampa. The problem was that he wasn’t pitching for the Phils but rather the Clearwater Threshers.

Lidge pitched a scoreless eighth inning in Florida Sunday night but instead of pitching in a Series rematch against the Tampa Rays he was pitching in Class-A ball against the Tampa Yankees (not as prestigious as the actual Yankees).

Lidge’s 15-day sentence on the disabled list expired Tuesday yet he remained away from the big leagues. Lidge’s knee held up through his rehab -- why was he pitching minor-league ball when the Phils could use him to put the lights out in the majors?

Lidge declared himself ready to return, according to the Daily News.

"My guess is they'll probably activate me [tomorrow] but I don't really know for sure," Lidge told the Daily News. "I'm sure they'll want to make sure I have plenty of rest before I'm activated, instead of going back-to-back days out of the chute. Even though I feel like I can."

But, there was still no indication that the Phils planned on bringing back Lidge Thursday. Can't blame the team considering that Lidge was ineffective so far in 2009.

Maybe they want him to have one more rehab assignment -- another chance to prove that both his velocity and location were back to where they needed to be to get Major Leaguers out.

Lidge needed to prove a couple things in his rehab appearances, according to Phils General Manager Ruben Amaro.

“One, with his mechanics; two with what he tells us," Amaro said. "The reports about his direction and mechanics were good."

So Lidge should be back?

At this point, who knows?

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