Ryan Howard could be cleared for more baseball activities soon - MLB

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on Ryan Howard’s rehab from Achilles tendon surgery, mostly because he hasn’t been doing a whole lot. While he ditched his protective boot about a month ago, he has been limited to strength exercises and basic on-field work. However, things could change soon.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that Howard is scheduled to visit with a specialist Monday. If the doctor is happy with his progress, he could be cleared for more baseball activities. The 32-year-old has yet to hit or run since undergoing a procedure in February to have stitches removed from an infected area of his Achilles.

Howard’s return date is still something of a mystery, but it can’t come soon enough for the power-starved Phillies. Their first baseman have combined to bat just .255/.321/.373 with one homer, seven RBI and a .694 OPS across 51 at-bats so far this season. The Phillies have a .617 OPS and seven homers through 14 games. Only the Cubs (five) have hit fewer home runs.

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”