First base platoon continues to go great as Darin Ruf jams shoulder

A platoon is a simple thing. I won't explain it to you because I don't need to.

No matter your feelings on the Phillies employing one in regards to Ryan Howard and Darin Ruf, we're a few games into the experiment. Pete Mackanin showed his platoon-gun was loaded the other night by pinch hitting for Howard with Ruf in a crucial spot against a lefty. John Stolnis was okay with it.

Darin Ruf jammed his left shoulder diving for a ball yesterday. It's sore, he's getting it checked. That's why Howard in vs. LHP #Phillies

— Stephen Gross (@SteveGrossMCall) April 12, 2016

The plan took a questionable turn the other day when Mackanin started muttering in Ruf's ear about playing in the outfield again. This was to give the Phillies a more potent offense by getting both Howard and Ruf in the lineup simultaneously, while the plan to have a fast, defensive outfield was presumably shelved for a moment.

I keep writing things and erasing them, because each thing sounds snarky, but I'm really just trying to convey what happened (Except for the extremely sarcastic headline on this post). The problem with this platoon is that both parts of it are not currently and have not recently been what experts refer to as "good."

Now one of them is "hurt," forcing the other to start against a type of pitcher that regularly leaves him flummoxed. So, through no one's fault - in fact, Ruf went all out for a ball at first the other night, and that's why he's hurt, can't blame a guy for trying - the platoon is not currently being a good, cool thing. Here's hoping it improves.