Roy Oswalt is worried about his back problems forcing him into retirement, so it’s no surprise that the Phillies have placed him on the disabled list before even waiting for the results of the MRI exam scheduled for Monday.
There seems to be a legitimate fear that he’ll never pitch again and if he does come back it certainly won’t be within two weeks, so the DL stint was a no-brainer. Scott Mathieson replaced Oswalt on the roster.
Along with putting Oswalt on the shelf the Phillies also released J.C. Romero, who predictably passed through waivers unclaimed after they designated him for assignment last week. Between his $1.35 million salary and disastrous numbers versus right-handed hitters Romero simply wasn’t worth a waiver claim and will probably have to work his way back to the majors on a minor-league contract. He’s merely a left-handed specialist at this point.
