Roy Oswalt has left the Phillies, who are in Arizona today for the finale of their three game series with the Diamondbacks, due to personal reason.
According to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the team does not know why Oswalt has left. A team official told Gelb that Oswalt was lifted from last night’s start due to ineffectiveness, not because of the personal issue.
More to come…
UPDATE, 2:58 pm: A statement from the Phillies regarding Oswalt’s departure:
“There has been a tremendous amount of tornado activity near Roy’s home in Mississippi resulting in several tragic deaths and significant devastation to the area. Because of this, Roy is concerned about his family’s well-being. He has chosen to take time to make sure there wasn’t significant damage to his home, but more importantly, to make certain that his wife and children are okay.
It is almost a year to the day that his parents’ home was destroyed by a tornado which has heightened his concern about the current situation.
We are hopeful that he will rejoin the team for his next start, but will take that day by day.”
Ruben Amaro Jr.
Senior Vice President & General Manager
