Phillies closer Brad Lidge flew back to Philadelphia from Denver on Wednesday to have his surgically repaired right elbow examined by the team’s doctor.
Lidge began the year on the disabled list following offseason surgery on his pitching elbow.
He allowed a home run in his season debut April 30 against the Mets. Since then, however, he had put together three consecutive scoreless innings over three appearances, capped by his first save of the season Sunday against Atlanta.
Beltran nearing return
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Carlos Beltran finally is running again, and the all-star center fielder is hopeful he can avoid microfracture surgery and rejoin the Mets soon.
Beltran, wearing a brace on his right knee, ran four loops along the warning track, starting in the rightfield corner and finishing at home plate.
“Thank God there’s no pain,” Beltran said. “It’s a learning process for me to start running again, so right now I’m thinking about how to make it perfect.”
Marquis facing surgery
NEW YORK — Nationals right-hander Jason Marquis is scheduled for surgery Friday to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. He’s expected to be sidelined until August.
“If there are spurs or other things in there, it might perhaps take a little longer for the recovery,” general manager Mike Rizzo said.
• Stephen Strasburg, the top pick of the 2009 draft, threw six innings of no-hit ball in his second start for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, a 4-0 win over the Norfolk Tides. The right- hander struck out seven.
Footnotes.
Padres pitcher Tim Stauffer was released from a hospital after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. He hopes to return to the mound in less than a month.
• Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher is day to day with a sore left biceps.
• Astros reliever Tim Byrdak will receive an injection Friday to relieve irritation in a lower back disc.
Denver Post wire services
