Phillies say Ryan Howard has torn Achilles' tendon

Trainers and coaches surround Ryan Howard after the slugger was hurt on a groundout to end the Phillies' season.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard might miss the start of spring training and possibly part of the regular season after tearing an Achilles' tendon.

The power-hitting first baseman was injured on the final play of Philadelphia's season-ending loss to St. Louis in Game 5 of the NL Division Series Friday night, falling as he ran out of the batter's box on his groundout.

The team said Saturday night an MRI revealed a rupture of Howard's left Achilles' tendon.

"He cannot have surgery until the swelling resolves, and it has not been determined who will perform the surgery," the Phillies said in a statement. "Recovery time won't be known until after the surgery is complete, and there is no guarantee he will be ready for spring training."

Injuries of that type usually require at least six months of recuperation. When soccer star David Beckham tore his Achilles' tendon on March 14 last year, he was sidelined until Sept. 11.

The voluntary reporting date for position players is in late February, and the Phillies open at Pittsburgh on April 5, two days shy of six months after Howard was hurt.

Howard, the 2006 NL MVP, batted .253 with a team-high 33 homers and 116 RBI this season to help Philadelphia win its fifth straight NL East title. The Phillies set a club record with 102 wins.

Howard was 2-for-19 (.105) with a homer and six RBI in the NL playoffs against the Cardinals. The slugger went 0-for-4 in the series finale as Chris Carpenter pitched St. Louis to a 1-0 victory, finishing off a stunning upset of the Phillies.

Philadelphia also said left-hander Cole Hamels will have loose bodies removed from his left elbow on Friday and another surgery a week later to repair a hernia.

Right fielder Hunter Pence and second baseman Placido Polanco will both have MRIs to evaluate their hernias. Polanco probably will have surgery and the scan will help determine what Pence needs.

First baseman Ross Gload probably will have arthroscopic surgery on his right hip after it is re-examined by Dr. Bryan Kelly.

Ryan Howard Injury: How Torn Achilles Will Be a Good Thing for Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to have to replace Ryan Howard's production, and that will ultimately lead to them being a stronger team in 2012.

Howard and the Phillies are still awaiting the results of an MRI to determine if his Achilles' tendon is indeed torn, but all indications point to that being the case. That will almost certainly shelve Howard for the entire 2012 season.

With Howard out of the Phillies' plans for 2012, the Phillies will have no possibility hiding under the false illusion that their weak offense is enough to win the World Series in 2012.

They will have to be aggressive in the offseason to replace Howard's prodigious production. Howard hit .253 with 31 home runs and 108 RBI this season.

His home run and RBI totals led the Phillies. He had 23 more RBI than the next closest Phillie.

The Phillies will have to scour the free-agent market for a good bat. This will not be enough, though, and this is where the injury will benefit them the most.

In order to replace that production, the Phillies will likely be forced to trade one of their big four starting pitchers.

Starting pitching is always at a premium in baseball. The Phillies have an excess. While having a pitching staff with that depth does wonders in the regular season, it is not as big of an advantage in the postseason. Pitching rotations are shortened. Three quality starters is enough to carry a team to a title.

If the Phillies can trade one of those starters and bring in a couple of good bats, then they will become a better team in the process.