June 19 -- MAYBERRY'S GREAT ADVENTURE

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Well, that was an eventful return for John Mayberry Jr., wasn't it?

Mayberry, the slugging outfielder, was recalled from Lehigh Valley yesterday to fill injured Raul Ibanez's spot, and Charlie Manuel put him to work right away, giving him the start in right field. At times, Mayberry looked good (he hit a solo homer in the fifth inning and threw out Vernon Wells at the plate in the eighth). And, at times, he looked bad (he took an extra step in his spin after picking up Scott Rolen's seventh-inning single, allowing Rolen to take an extra base, and popped out to second the game).

Overall, though, it's going to be fascinating to watch Mayberry over these next two weeks and maybe longer, depending on the results of Ibanez's MRI exam (we should get some information on that later today). Mayberry will get a chance to play, and the Phillies should have a better idea of his major-league readiness. He's 4-for-14 (.286) with two homers in the majors. In 52 games at Lehigh Valley, he was batting .257 with eight homers and 41 RBIs.

"You definitely realize the opportunity in front of you, but at the same time, I don't think you're going to do yourself any good by putting added pressure on yourself," Mayberry said. "So you just try to stay within yourself, keep the same approach that you did all year, and hopefully the results will be there."

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Here's an often-overlooked aspect of the Phillies' 2008 championship season: After May, only one everyday position player (Pedro Feliz) and one pivotal relief pitcher (Tom Gordon) spent time on the disabled list. It was a remarkable run of good health (and good fortune) that allowed them to win the NL East.

A year later, it's mid-June and Brett Myers (hip), Brad Lidge (knee), Scott Eyre (calf) and Raul Ibanez (groin) on the DL.