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Chad Billingsley almost ready to almost join the Phillies rotation

The Chad Billingsley Rehab Start Countdown is now at 3! But you already knew that, of course.

By Justin Klugh
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

At this point, you're probably worried as you look around the Phillies roster. "Where are all of those other players?" you ask, a crack in your voice. "Where are Cord Phelps and Russ Canzler and Jordan Danks, and all the rest of my favorite 2015 spring training Phillies?"

They couldn't have just vanished; some of them even had pretty decent springs. Some had more decent springs than people who are still on the Phillies. But it turns out they haven't been disappeared by one of Pat Gillick's Phanatic Attack Squadrons, playfully thrusted into oblivion.

They're all just up in Lehigh Valley, starting for the IronPigs. Why, is that Chris McGuiness going 2-for-2 with a double against Syracuse? You bet your poorly informed ass it is.

Also here is Chad Billingsley, another devourer of innings the Phillies have signed who they hoped would be the final piece in their bold plan to have five pitchers in their rotation. Billingsley's right elbow problems resurfaced early on but now, he's only a mere three more rehab starts away from joining the Phillies as they stumble, faceplant, and are dragged through five and a half more months.

"...I'm excited and I'll keep working," Billingsley said through an interpreter who specializes in lies. He had just dominated some minor league hitters through five scoreless innings, a feat not every current Phillies starter could probably pull off.

The goal is to not feel pain for a month and a half, and then, Billingsley's doctors will give him the green light, and we won't be stuck with Sean O'Sullivan anymore.

In fact, O'Sullivan pitched the same number of innings as Max Scherzer (6.0), but walked fewer batters and allowed fewer hits and cost many millions of dollars less. He also got Scherzer to walk him and scored a run. Am I saying Sean O'Sullivan is better than Max Scherzer? Definitely.

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