Report: Cliff Lee to rejoin Phillies rotation on Monday

May 18, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee (33) pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
May 18, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cliff Lee (33) pitches in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Despite Cliff Lee having a shaky start recently in a rehab outing for the Phillies’ Single-A affiliate, CSN Philly is now reporting that the former ace will be rejoining the Philadelphia rotation on Monday.

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On Monday night in Clearwater, the 38-year-old had one of the roughest nights of his career, giving up eight runs and eight hits in just 4.1 innings pitched, which is what makes this move back to the rotation this soon so shocking.

When asked what happened on Monday night in that terrible outing, Lee himself was not even sure.

“Everything happened,” he said with a chuckle late Friday afternoon. “Weird game. There was no rhyme or reason for anything. They swung the bat and hit a lot of balls.”

Even with that less than effective performance, he still feels that he’s ready to help the Phillies in any way that he can.

“I feel strong and I feel good and I’m ready to try to help the team win,” Lee said.

Of course, there are also the whispers going around that he could be on the trade block. With $37.5 million left on his contract beyond this season, the Phillies would love for nothing more than to hand him over to someone else with a smile on their faces in doing so.