With a few Phillies off to slow starts, centerfielder Aaron Rowand has taken his game to a new level.  In 21 games so far this season, Rowand is 28 for 77 (.364 avg, 1.028 OPS) with 10 runs scored, 4 homers and 11 RBIs.  The Phillies need Rowand to keep healthy all season long because they need his bat.

The Philadelphia Phillies have returned catcher Ryan Budde back to the Los Angeles Angels.  The Phillies couldn’t keep Budde over anyone on their current roster and he has at least three catchers ahead of him in the Phillies organization.

Ryan Howard is off to a slow start for the Phillies this season and the whole lineup has suffered because of it.  In 15 games so far this season Howard is only 12 of 55 (.218 avg, .800 OPS) but he has scored 8 runs, whacked 2 homers and driven in 10 runs already.  Look for the NL MVP of last season to turn it on soon and watch the Phillies record improve immediately as Howard will make the whole lineup better when he starts to hit.

Of course that’s not saying a lot as the Phillies were 3-3 last week as they outscored their opponents 23-21.  The Phillies pitched well last week for the first time this season and that’s why they won some games.  The Phillies are currently in 4th place in the National League West with a 6-11 record, 5.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves.

Matt Smith has pitched in 6 games so far this season and he’s 0-0 with a 13.50 ERA and a 3.75 WHIP!  He’s only thrown 2.2 innings so far and he’s allowed 4 hits and he’s walked 6 batters.  If Smith doesn’t straighten up soon, he’ll likely wind up back in AAA despite the Phillies desperation in the bullpen.