Utley reportedly making progress: The Phillies have yet to give a timetable for their injured stars, first baseman Ryan Howard and second baseman Chase Utley, however according to CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Danny Knobler, the team is starting to express optimism that the two could join the team sometime in June. Utley is considered the further away of the two, as the team still is not sure how his knees will respond to an increased workload. He has been with the team taking batting practice, and he began taking live grounders this week. (Updated 05/19/2012)
Injury Report
Knee - 15-day DL. Out until at least late June (Updated - 5/20/12)
Fantasy Analysis
We reported on his progress in the field on Wednesday, however this is the first time there has even been a hint of a timetable. He will likely need to play in some rehab games in the minors before he returns to the field, however at the very least it looks like he should be back in time for the second half of the season. Fantasy owners in mixed formats need to continue to stash Utley away until the time he can return to the Philadelphia lineup. (Updated 05/19/2012).
04/03/2012 16:24 Hit Parade for Week 1
How are lineups shaping up post-spring? Our Scott White goes position by position looking for hidden gems and busts for the opening week in his initial edition of Hit Parade.
04/03/2012 14:42 Inge heads to the DL, and an amazing debate goes on
The Tigers put Brandon Inge on the disabled list, which only means that Tiger fans can keep arguing about him. Some love him, and as many hate him. Over the last 30 years, only Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell have played more games for the Tigers than Inge, who the team tried unsuccessfully to trade this spring.
04/03/2012 06:12 Keep an eye on these rookies
You never know when it's going to happen, but every once in a while a rookie busts out and becomes a star. Michael Hurcomb takes a look at some of the youngsters you should either draft and stash or consider picking up on the waiver wire as the season gets under way.
The second baseman formerly known as Chase Utley continued to descend into mediocrity last year. Too harsh? Fine, but look at the numbers. His batting average and OPS both declined for the fifth consecutive season, giving him career lows in both (aside from a brief rookie showing in 2003). By those measurements, he was closer to Kelly Johnson than Dustin Pedroia last year. True, he wasn't completely healthy all season, missing the first seven weeks with patellar tendinitis, chondromalacia and bone inflammation in his right knee, but it doesn't explain why he had a great June and July before hitting .227 over the final two months. Besides, the presence of injuries is a problem in and of itself. Utley has missed an average of 53 games over the last two seasons and will miss more time to begin 2012 because of his chronic knee problems. Given his track record, his percentages will likely bounce back to some degree, and the second base position is still thin enough that Utley remains a worthy starter in Fantasy when healthy. But he's more like the player bridging the gap to the second tier than the top dog himself. (Updated 3/25/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
