"Not only do the Phillies lead with 29 wins, but they very well could lead the way with injuries and time spent in the training room. Every day it seems as if there is a new injury or nagging ache or pain to report on and Wednesday was no different.

General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said before Wednesday's game that pinch hitter Ross Gload had a tear in his hip and would be out for a couple of days. The GM said there are no plans to put Gload on the disabled list for the injury now and will test out the hip in a couple of days.

Gload would have been a suitable pinch hitter in the ninth inning of Tuesday night's 6-3 loss to the Reds, but manager Charlie Manuel said the lefty slugger was unavailable immediately after the game. The injury came on May 19 when Gload started in rightfield against the Rockies at the Bank, according to Manuel. However, Gload pinch hit May 22 and 23 despite the injury.

"It's not necessarily minor. He's got a labral issue. But we're going to try to manage through it," Amaro said. "I think it's one of those injuries, no dissimilar to Chase's (Utley) in that he's got a tear in there, and he's either going to play it out and manage it. He'll probably play as much as he can, tolerate it as much as he can."

Gload has appeared in 27 games this season with three starts. He's batted 10 for 34 with four RBIs, but no extra-base hits.

Meanwhile, reliever Jose Contreras is nearing a return from the disabled list, Manuel and Amaro confirmed. The big righthander pitched two innings in a rehab outing for Triple A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday morning, allowing a pair of hits and no runs. Contreras also pitched a scoreless inning for Double A Reading last weekend.

Contreras likely will be activated before the team heads to New York to face the Mets this weekend.

Though he started the season as the team's closer and saved five straight games until hurting his elbow, Manuel says Ryan Madson will remain the team's closer. Madson has saved nine straight games and is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA. In save situations, Madson has 12 strikeouts in 11 innings and has not allowed a run.

Additionally, starter Joe Blanton visited with renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. on Wednesday to learn the extent of his right elbow injury. According to a team spokesman, Andrews' diagnosis is the same as team physician Dr. Michael Ciccotti. That means Blanton will be out for at least a month and will begin a throwing program in three to four weeks.

Chase Utley was not in the lineup for Wednesday's game after playing in his first two games of the season on Monday and Tuesday. Utley is 1 for 9 in two games since returning from a knee injury."