David Murphy: Phillies fumbling Howard, Utley situations

David Murphy of “High Cheese” weighs in on the budding Ryan Howard controversy:

Yesterday brought little clarity on the futures of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, only an oddly timed statement by general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. about an Inquirer story that relayed varying medical opinions on cortisone shots like the one Howard received a few weeks before rupturing his Achilles’ tendon in Game 5 of the NLDS. Amaro summoned reporters during the early stages of Sunday’s game, laying out the organization’s argument that the cortisone shot and eventual injury were unrelated, an argument that would have made more sense to make prior to the publication of the article, which said the Phillies declined to do that.

The organization’s handling of the situation has little impact on the issue that the general public cares most about — when Howard will return to the lineup — but it does feed the perception, fair or not, that the Phillies themselves do not have a clear idea.

Ed Wade’s Achilles heel was middle relievers; is Amaro’s actually an Achilles heel?