Phillies' Ryan Howard: Role could be reduced if struggles continue

Manager Pete Mackanin said at some point Howard's role could be reduced, but nothing is imminent, Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia reports. "I'm going to look at it a week at a time," Mackanin said. "We'll see. At some point it might come to that, but I can't say it's imminent."

Analysis:

Howard went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Monday, lowering his average to .156. He has just four hits in the month of May, but three of those hits were home runs. A reduction in Howard's role would lead to increased at-bats for Tommy Joseph, who is off to a solid start since his promotion from Triple-A. Howard is in the final year of his contract, so it would not be surprising to see the Phillies move him to a bench role or even release him if his struggles continue.