Closer Brad Lidge was spotted in the Phillies clubhouse yesterday without any hardware.  No crutches, no braces, not even a wrap; just two tiny pieces of tape on either side of his knee.  It’s been five days since Lidge had surgery on his meniscus, and has been said to be walking pain-free without a limp, which is good news for Phillies fans. 

Lidge had his first test yesterday; playing catch.  He played catch from 60 feet, and had no discomfort.  So far, so good…  The next test comes tomorrow when Lidge will do a long-throw from 120 feet.

With Lidge’s 3-6 recovery process, there’s still a shot he’ll be ready to close by Opening Day, but odds are he’s still going to miss the first week or two of the season.  Tom Gordon will close in Lidge’s absence.