Phillies tried to slip Ryan Howard into a Marlon Byrd trade with the Orioles - MLB

It was no secret that the Phillies were trying to move outfielder Marlon Byrd when front office personnel and the media descended upon San Diego earlier this week. The Phillies also tried, to no avail, to move first baseman Ryan Howard. MASN’s Roch Kubatko notes that when the Phillies discussed a potential Byrd trade with the Orioles, they tried to attach Howard in the deal as well.

Howard, 35, ranked among the game’s least valuable players in 2014 and is still owed $60 million through 2016. The Phillies would no doubt need to pick up a healthy portion of his remaining salary in order to entice another team to acquire the former MVP.

Byrd, 37, is under contract for just the 2015 season at $8 million, but his 2016 option can become guaranteed at the same price if he accrues 550 plate appearances next season. Other options for the Orioles include Delmon Young, Michael Morse, and Melky Cabrera.

Follow @CrashburnAlley

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.”