April 16 -- BASEBALL, AT LAST

BY SCOTT LAUBER

WASHINGTON -- Good morning, all. And let me tell you just how good a morning it is: At last, after nearly three days of clouds and rain, the sun is shining here in DC, one of my all-time favorite cities. And that, of course, means one thing: There will be baseball tonight, finally, at Nationals Park.

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful blog comments and e-mails about Harry Kalas. Now, more than ever, it's obvious to me how much Harry meant to you. As I wrote in yesterday's edition of The News Journal, Phillies broadcasts won't ever be quite the same again, and here at Philled In, we chronicled the series of tributes planned for tomorrow night and all season long at Citizens Bank Park. All figure to be every bit as touching as they are well-deserved.

It's been three days since Harry passed away, and while there aren't enough words to describe his loss, if I know him (and I got to know him a little bit over the past 3-1/2 years), he'd probably say, "Enough already!" There are plenty of games left to be played in 2009, and at some point, maybe tonight, we all have to get back to the business of playing/watching/covering them. So, at the risk of making an awkward transition back to baseball, here goes:

--Talked yesterday to Carlos Ruiz, who rejoined the team after having an MRI Monday in Philly. The MRI confirmed Ruiz has a strained right oblique (rib cage) muscle. He's not eligible to come off the DL until April 26, and it wouldn't surprise me if he takes longer than that. Obliques are tricky injuries. If you rush back, they don't heal properly. And although Ruiz is already riding the exercise bike, he said it still hurts occasionally when he laughs. So, clearly, he's not close to being ready to play yet.

--Joe Blanton on the mound tonight, which means Cole Hamels will be pushed back to tomorrow. If the rainout will affect anyone, it may be Hamels. He's already behind schedule because he missed a week in spring training with the infamous elbow tightness. The Phillies would like to get him out there as soon as possible, and now, it'll be a full week since his last start, also known as the Denver Debacle. "I don't know if the rest, the extra days, are good for him or not," Charlie Manuel said. "It won't hurt him, but you get him out there and keep him regular for two or three turns, that sounds to me like what he needs to come around."

--Had there been a game here last night, Lou Marson would've made his first start of the season (and his second career start) behind the plate. I fully expect him to be back there tonight, and it'll be interesting to see how quickly/slowly he adapts to calling a game at the major-league level. Catching in the majors carries a lot more responsibility than in the minors, where managers and pitching coaches often assist in the pitch-calling process.

--Finally, I did a radio interview last night with Mike Gill of ESPN-1450, and Mike asked a question that many of you have posed in e-mails to me over the past few days: How are the Phillies coping with Harry The K's death, and will it affect them on the field? The short answer is they're dealing with it in their own way. Manuel yesterday spoke wistfully about Harry. He recalled how he'd purposely clear his schedule to watch "Inside The NFL" on HBO just to listen to Harry's voice. He said Harry was "bigger than the Phanatic." Others in the clubhouse have been less vocal about it, but consecutive days off have allowed everyone to remember Harry in their own way.

That said, once the games resume, I'd be surprised if the Phillies are unable to regain their focus. Remember: This is a team that dealt with two deaths (Manuel's mother and Shane Victorino's grandmother) during the NLCS in October. By all accounts, it was a solemn cross-country flight after Game 2. But the Phillies played well in Los Angeles, winning Games 4 and 5 to eliminate the Dodgers and advance to the World Series. There has been little evidence to suggest that they won't respond equally well this time around.

More in a bit from Nationals Park.