In April, Phillies reliever Jose Contreras was placed on the disabled list with a mild elbow strain. The strain was expected to keep Contreras out for 3-4 weeks, and he remains on target to return to the team towards the end of May, having thrown his first successful bullpen session on Tuesday. Writes David Hale, Contreras' ~40 pitches went by incident-free.
Jose Contreras Injury Not A Factor During Bullpen Session
It's good news for a Phillies team that has been dealing with more than its fair share of injuries in the early going. Which isn't to say the bullpen has been suffering - the Phillies' collective relief corps has an incredible 2.96 ERA, despite having to fare so long without Contreras and Brad Lidge - but that 2.96 ERA is unsupported by the bullpen's 1.5 K/BB, so the upcoming return of Contreras (and Lidge) will offer some stability.
Ryan Madson has served as the team's interim closer in Contreras' absence, and has allowed just one run all season in 14 innings.
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