Roy Halladay: Two weeks of rest and see you after the All-Star break

The good news is that the second opinion Roy Halladay received about his right shoulder is the same as the first.

The original diagnosis was on the money. After taking a week off Halladay will not throw for two more weeks so he can rest his strained right-shoulder. Halladay and team trainer Scott Sheridan met the media today to discuss the injury.

“I’ve been fortunate to not have a lot of injuries,” Halladay said. “I have had a long stretch of being able to make all of my starts. I think it’s just one of those things.”

But Halladay won’t be making any starts for the Phillies until after the All-Star break, at the earliest. The Phillie with the most intense workout regimen realizes that rest is key.

“It’s a matter of calming it down and strengthening everything around it,” Halladay said.

The downtime isn’t easy for Halladay, who is off the charts in terms of physical activity.

“The first week (of inactivity) was tough,” Halladay said. “But the most important thing is a week (off) can save me a month (on the disabled list). As much as I want to be back, I want to make sure that when I’m back, I don’t have to address this later on.”

The injury may affect Halladay’s future with the Phillies. Halladay is signed through the 2013 season. He has a vesting option that will be guaranteed if he pitches a combined 415 innings in 2012 and 2013. Since Halladay has pitched 72 and a third innings so far this season and may miss up to eight weeks, reaching that goal is doubtful.

But that doesn’t seem to bother Halladay, who has that same emotionless expression whether he pitches a no-hitter in the playoffs or is on the shelf for more than a month.

Halladay isn’t concerned about that issue. He hopes to pitch for the Phillies as long as possible, end his career in red pinstripes and be part of a parade down Broad street.

“Ultimately it’s my goal to finish my career with the Phillies and win a World Series here,” Halladay said. “My intent is to play here and finish my career here and be here as long as I can.”

If Halladay returns to form after this speedbump, the odds are that Doc will remain with the Phillies after 2013. But that’s the long-term look. Right now, Halladay and the Phillies are focusing on the near-future, which for Doc, should start at some point in late July, barring a setback.