Phillies notes: Roy Halladay's velocity a concern?

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Roy Halladay has posted solid numbers over his first three starts of the spring. However, there are some that are concerned over the lack of velocity the veteran is showing, according to David Murphy of The Philadelphia Daily News.

Halladay logged four scoreless innings of work yesterday during the Phillies exhibition contest against the Washington Nationals. Over his four frames, the right-hander allowed two hits and a walk, while striking out two.

While the stat line may have onlookers feeling good about Halladay's outing, the radar gun told a different story. Halladay, whose fastball generally sits in the low 90's, was topping out at 88 mph yesterday. Murphy notes that while he hit 88 a few times, Halladay's fastball was generally in the 86-88 mph range.

After Halladay's struggles last season, the lack of velocity this spring could be a reason for concern in Philadelphia. However, Murphy says the conditions yesterday didn't allow the pitchers to get a good grip on the ball. Halladay also hinted that he's previously dealt with dead arm at this point in previous spring trainings, something that could be impacting him now.

Regardless, Halladay will turn 36 this season, and a loss of velocity is to be expected considering his age and the number of innings he's logged over his career. Murphy believes the veteran can still be a solid No. 3 starter for the Phillies with his fastball sitting at 88-90 mph. He feels the right-hander's location and movement are more important than velocity, and he's reportedly scored well in these departments this spring.