June 28 -- MANUEL: ROLLINS TO LEAD OFF TUESDAY

BY SCOTT LAUBER

TORONTO -- Jimmy Rollins' break is nearly over.

Following today's 5-4 win here over the Blue Jays, Charlie Manuel said Rollins will start -- and bat leadoff -- when the Phillies open a three-game series Tuesday night in Atlanta. Rollins hasn't played for the past four games as part of Manuel's plan to give the slumping shortstop a mental break.

"He's going back in the lineup, and he's going in the leadoff hole," Manuel said.

Rollins, hitless in his last 19 at-bats and 7-for-56 en route to dropping his average to .211, didn't get a pinch-hit at-bat over the past four games, and until today, he hadn't even been taking batting practice.

"I felt like it was very important to let him sit over there and get a clear mind," Manuel said. "He's fresh. He's starting over. I talked to him a whole lot yesterday. I think it helped. That's why I wanted to do it. We'll see the way that he performs and the way that he goes about playing the game. We'll see."

Eric Bruntlett was 1-for-15 in Rollins' absence.

Please check tomorrow's News Journal for more.