Brandon Phillips set to swing a bat again

Reds sidelined second baseman Brandon Phillips has been cleared to swing a bat, which is the last step before he embarks on a rehab assignment. He has been out for a month with a torn tendon in his left thumb.

Bryan Price has explained why Phillips will be required to go on a minor league rehab stint. "It's a surgery and it's a five-to-six-week recovery period," he told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "That's a long time away from the game without seeing live pitching."

Phillips will return to the Reds with a typically strong stat line of .272/.308/.392, though his productivity at age 33 has finally lessened.