Mad sonMadson can be maddening 

Personally, I almost wish he'd kick another solid, inanimate object with his left foot.

Although general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. feels that the loss of Ryan Madson is a blow to the bullpen, contrary opinions exist. Of course, our current candidates for pitching relief are scant and rarely prove reliable. Then again, with a ERA of 7.00 for the season, has Mad-Dog really been an asset to the team or just part of the pitching woes?

And let's also consider why he resorted to that fateful outburst in the first place. In an April 27th appearance against San Francisco, Ryan allowed one run on two hits and walked a batter, blowing the save, which fortunately ended in a 7-6 victory for the Phillies.

Since he will be non-weight bearing for two weeks, pitching staff worry that Ryan will be limited in the amount of arm conditioning he is able to do. Phillies athletic trainer, Scott Sheridan, was unable to project a time frame for stages of rehabilitation, as it depends heavily on Madson's periodic re-evaluations.

So, how do you feel about the status of the Phillies bullpen, now dealing with a good two months without Ryan Madson?