by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/23/2013) The Phillies placed second baseman Chase Utley on the 15-day disabled list with a mild, Grade 1 strained right oblique.
“We do believe and hope that Chase will be ready to play in Philadelphia within 15 days,” general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.
Utley received a MRI exam Thursday, which led to the team's decision. The Phillies have not publicly released the results of his exam. Utley hit .272 with seven home runs and 25 RBI in 44 games before landing on the DL.
Chase Utley might end up on DL
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (5/22/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley might need to go to the disabled list because of his right rib injury, according to MLB.com.
Utley iwill have an MRI Thursday when the team returns to Philadelphia. Utley suffered the injury during batting practice Tuesday.
"It definitely scared me a little bit," he said Wednesday. "My first swing I took in BP, I felt something. My second swing, I felt it again. My third swing, I felt it again. After the fourth swing, I realized something wasn't right. That's when I told Charlie [Manuel] I have some pain in my side. He told me to go see [head athletic trainer] Scott [Sheridan]. He took me out of the game."
If Utley has a strained oblique, that could require a DL trip, and the team should know Thursday. He said he felt OK Wednesday, but not much better than he did the day before. Utley has missed 256 games over the last three seasons.
"You want to be careful with these things, because they could linger and get worse if you try to play through it," Utley said. "I think we caught it early enough, but it's hard to know until we have some imaging on it."
Utley is expected to miss Wednesday's game as a result of the injury, the same one that forced him out of Tuesday's lineup. He said he felt pain and a burning sensation during batting practice. His timetable will become clear following the MRI.
Chase Utley scratched with side discomfort
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (5/21/2013) The Phillies have diagnosed second baseman Chase Utley with discomfort in his right side, after he was scratched from Tuesday's lineup. Utley had to be removed from the lineup after feeling the discomfort during batting practice.
According to MLB.com, Utley will be re-evaluated Wednesday to determine the extent of the injury.
Chase Utley taken out of lineup
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (5/21/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was scratched from Tuesday's game for undisclosed reasons. Freddy Galvis took his place in the lineup for the game against the Marlins.
No reason has been given for Utley's absence.
Manager wants Chase Utley to play 140-142 games
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/15/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley returned to the starting lineup Wednesday against the Indians after receiving a breather Tuesday.
"We want to kind of monitor and keep him off his feet at times," manager Charlie Manuel said before Tuesday's game, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. "I think if he plays 140 to 142 games with the off days we have, that would be very passable."
Utley heads into play Wednesday batting .393 (11 for 28) with one home run, three doubles, three RBI, four walks and five runs in his last seven games.
Chase Utley gets third day off
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (5/14/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was left out of the starting lineup Tuesday against the Indians for just the third time in 40 games this season. Kevin Frandsen replaced him in the starting lineup.
Utley, who had a season-high four hits Sunday against the Diamondbacks, is batting .273 (12 for 44) with two home runs, three doubles, five RBI, six walks and six runs in 12 May games.
Chase Utley has four hits
by Adam Moore | CBSSports.com (5/12/2013) Phillies second basemen Chase Utley doubled and singled twice in a 4-2 win in Sunday's series finale against the Diamondbacks. Utley was 4 for 5 with two runs scored.
He has hit safely in six of his last seven games and is batting .393 (11 for 28) with three doubles and three RBI over that span.
Chase Utley homers, records three hits
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (5/8/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley enjoyed a productive night at the plate as he recorded three hits, including his seventh home run of the season, Tuesday night against the Giants.
Utley took starter Tim Lincecum deep in the fifth inning for a solo home run. He also singled in a run in the second as he finished 3 for 5 with two runs scored and two RBI in a 6-2 victory.
Utley has snapped out of a 1-for-16 slump and has gone 4 for 9 with three runs scored, a homer and two RBI in his last two games. He has a .276/.326/.512 line in 123 at-bats.
Chase Utley walks twice but snaps hitting streak
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (5/1/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was able to draw two walks in Wednesday's 6-0 loss to the Indians, but his 0-for-2 performance snapped his six-game hitting streak. Utley has a .290/.345/.520 line and five home runs in 110 plate appearances this year.
Chase Utley homers out of No. 2 spot
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/24/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, who was slotted into the second spot of the starting lineup for the first time this year, went 2 for 5 with his fourth home run of the season Wednesday against the Pirates. It was his first home run since April 15.
Utley also struck out for the fourth straight game while pushing his season line up to .308/.353/.551 in 85 plate appearances. He leads the team in homers (four), RBI (16) and runs (11).
Chase Utley moved to second spot in order against lefty
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/24/2013) Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has moved second baseman Chase Utley to the second spot in the order for Wednesday's game against the Pirates, splitting up left-handed hitters Utley and Ryan Howard for the first time this season. The team is facing Pirates lefty Wandy Rodriguez.
Both Utley (.125/.222/.250 in 18 plate appearances) and Howard (.111/.158/.222 in 19 plate appearances) have struggled against lefties this season, so third baseman Michael Young will bat third against the Pirates.
Chase Utley gets a rest
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/23/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley was held out of the starting lineup Tuesday vs. Pittsburgh for just the second time in 21 games. Utley, who was replaced in the lineup by Freddy Galvis, is batting .306 through 20 games.
He has managed multi-hit games in two straight and three of his last five. He's batting .368 (7 for 19) with a double and three RBI in his last five games.
Phillies end ignominious streak
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (4/19/2013) Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro told reporters Friday that he found it "ridiculous" that his team's offense had gone three full games without a walk, through the team's series in Cincinnati.
"I can not believe it," Amaro said. "More importantly, it's about not just walks, but producing."
His players apparently got the memo Friday, as Chase Utley walked in the first inning of the team's game against the Cardinals. That walk ended a stretch of 137 plate appearances for the team's offense without drawing a walk.
Chase Utley delivers pinch-hit HR
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/16/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley hit his third home run in Monday's series opener against the Reds.
He pinch-hit in the eighth inning with one on and launched a two-run shot off starter Cliff Lee.
Utley is batting .292 (14 for 48) through 13 games with 12 RBI.
Chase Utley not in Monday's lineup
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (4/15/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is not in the team's lineup Monday.
Utley is receiving a normal off day. Freddy Galvis will start at second base in place of Utley. Considering his injury woes from the previous seasons, it is encouraging that Utley playing in every game thus far. He should return to the lineup Tuesday.
Bat drawing attention for Chase Utley
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (4/13/2013) For the first time in recent seasons, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is no longer fielding questions about his health. After his 1-for-5 showing that included a game-winning triple Friday against the Marlins, Utley has reached base in all 10 games this season.
He is hitting .316 with two homers and 10 RBI, continuing to distance himself from the chronic knee problems that plagued him the previous two years.
"I'm pleased that I'm starting the season, that's for sure," said Utley, who didn't make his first appearance last season until June 27. "We're starting to play better baseball. Swinging the bats better. The weather is warming up. I think it's going to be a fun summer."
Chase Utley returns to form
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/11/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley appears to have put behind him the knee problems that plagued him the last few years, reports CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Danny Knobler.
"I hit a few speed bumps," Utley said. "Right now, the road is clear."
Utley is off to a promising start, batting .333 (11 for 33) with a triple, two homers, two doubles and nine RBI in nine games.
"He looks like Chase," former teammate Jayson Werth said this week. "And when he's like that, he's the best player in baseball."
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel preached all spring Utley was in line for a bounce-back season, and he hasn't changed his tune.
"He's going to have a big season," Manuel said. "He's moving good. He's playing hard, he's sliding hard, he's taking people out. He's having fun. I'm happy for him. I'm really happy."
Hoping for more steals from Chase Utley
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (4/10/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, who legged out a triple in the season-opener, has continued to show off his wheels since then, most notably with a two-steal performance against the Mets Tuesday. That's three steals in eight games, which suggests to me two things:
1. The chronic knee pain that sidelined him for the first few weeks in both 2011 and 2012 is practically an afterthought for both him and his Fantasy owners.
2. He could be in line to set a career high in steals at age 34, topping the 23 he had in 2009, particularly if his 11 in 83 games last year (when his knees weren't feeling so hot) is any indication.
Keep in mind that during the prime of Chase Utley's career, the Phillies were a slugging team. Now, with fewer proven commodities and a few more singles and doubles hitters in the mix, they might need him to run more.
I didn't draft Utley with much confidence this spring, but I'm feeling pretty good about him now, especially compared to someone like Jason Kipnis.
Chase Utley's knee looking good so far
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (4/2/2013) After beginning each of the previous two seasons on the DL with chronic knee issues, the fact Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is even playing this time of year is encouraging enough for Fantasy owners. His performance Monday is deserving of a fist pump.
He had three hits. Cool. He hit a home run. Great. The biggest deal to me was the triple, which looked like just a typical gapper. Most players would have stopped at second base, but Utley kept going, pushing the limits of his perpetually achy knees.
He must be feeling pretty good. And if he's feeling good, he doesn't necessarily need to be the .300 hitter he used to be to make a huge impact at a weak position. As a .256 hitter last year, Utley ranked behind only Robinson Cano and Aaron Hill in Head-to-Head points per game at second base.
Chase Utley boasts health vs. Braves
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/1/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley came close to recording the first cycle of his career in Monday's season opener against the Braves. He went 3 for 5 with a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in the 7-5 loss.
Utley launched a solo home run off starter Tim Hudson in the fourth inning for the 200th long ball of his career. He added a two-run single in the fifth before tripling in the seventh.
The 34-year-old missed the previous two opening days due to knee problems.
Chase Utley hits fifth home run of spring
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (3/28/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley hit his fifth home run of the spring Thursday against the Blue Jays. It was his only hit in three at-bats, leaving Utley with a .273/.368/.545 line in 76 Grapefruit League plate appearances. It's the first time Utley has hit as many as five home runs in spring training since 2007, when he had six.
Chase Utley trying to power up
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/23/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley went 2 for 4 with two, two-run homers during a13-4 victory over Baltimore in Grapefruit League play Saturday. Utley hit both homers off Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen, including a fourth-inning shot that chased Chen from the game.
The home runs were Utley's first extra-base hits since March 14 and improved his batting average to .255 as he's played nearly every game this spring.
Utley enjoys taste of Grapefruit
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (2/23/2013) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley went 1 for 2 with an RBI during Philadelphia's 8-3 loss to Houston in the Grapefruit League opener for both teams on Saturday. This outing was Utley's first Grapefruit League game since 2010, as he has missed the last two springs and part of the last two regular seasons with knee injuries. Utley, who maintained his usual No. 3 spot in the batting order, said it was nice to be back. "It's been a few years since I played a spring training game on that field," Utley said. "It was exciting. It was a good first step."
Utley to play in spring games
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/20/2013) The Philadelphia Daily News reports Phillies second baseman Chase Utley is set to play in a spring game for the first time in three years. Manager Charlie Manuel said Utley, who has battled chronic knee problems the last two springs, will play in Friday's intrasquad game and then suit up Saturday in the team's spring opener. “I think he worked hard this winter,” Manuel said. “I think he really put a lot of hard time in last year. He went to Arizona. And I think after the season was over, with the way he’s swinging right now and the way he looks, you could tell he’s definitely willing to pay the price to get back to where he was. I think Utley wants to play quite a few more years. And that’s good.”
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (2/15/2013) The optimism remains the same for Phillies second baseman Chase Utley regarding his knee. The only difference in this year for Utley, who has been unavailable for opening day each of the past two seasons, is his workouts during the offseason were aimed at improving his overall strength rather than just his knee. "I feel pretty damn good right now," Utley told the Philadelphia Daily News on Friday. "It obviously didn't work the last couple of years, so I wanted to change it up and do something different. The program I followed last year didn't work for me, so I needed to make an adjustment to get on the field."
Utley in good place
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/3/2013)The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Phillies manager Charlie Manuel received a DVD featuring one of second baseman Chase Utley's offseason workouts from head athletic trainer Scott Sheridan. Utley hasn't appeared in a spring training game the last two years because of chronic knee problems. "He looked good," Manuel said. "It showed him exercising, jumping and grasping at this bar, things like that, and he really looked like he was in good shape. He emailed me at Christmas and said, 'You’re going to have a healthy second baseman.' Knowing him, that’s means a whole lot." Manuel also said he is entertaining the idea of hitting Utley second in front of Michael Young and Ryan Howard. "I’ve always looked at Utley as a third hole hitter, but it depends on how good (we are) or how we set up," Manuel said. "I could hit Utley second and Young third, but at the same time I don’t know. I like Young second or third."
Utley looking likely for spring
by Scott White | Senior Fantasy Writer (12/20/2012) Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, who hasn't participated in spring training since 2010 because of chronic knee issues, is expected to be ready for spring training this year, according to the News Journal. Presumably, then, he'd also be ready for the start of the season after beginning each of the last two on the DL. "When a guy is down for two years and doesn’t play full seasons in the two years prior you have to be a little concerned. But we think Chase has learned and we have learned to manage whatever he’s got going on in his knees pretty well," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We think he’s put himself in the position to be ready to go out of the chute this spring. But that remains to be seen."
