Utley activated from DL
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Utley activated from DL
Daily News staff
Chase Utley is back.
The Phillies activated their star second baseman from the disabled list on Tuesday afternoon, ending his speedy comeback from a thumb injury that was expected to sideline him for eight weeks. Utley is in the lineup and batting second tonight against San Francisco.
To make room for Utley, the Phillies designated reserve infielder/outfielder Greg Dobbs for assignment for the second time this season.
First baseman Ryan Howard remains on the disabled list with a sprained ankle.
Utley, who injured his thumb on a head first slide into second base in a loss to the Reds on June 28, had surgery to repair a ligament in his thumb on July 1. As late as last week, the Phillies said publicly they expected his recovery to take about eight weeks, which would have returned him to the line-up sometime during the last week of August. But Utley shifted his recovery into fifth gear over the weekend. He was cleared to swing a bat on Wednesday, and by Saturday was making his first rehab start in Clearwater.
Utley played in games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, going 2-for-10. On Monday, Phillies special assistant Charlie Kerfeld was non-committal about the prospects of a Tuesday return.
"They'll make the final decision (in Philadelphia)," Kerfeld said. "But I think he probably needs a couple more games."
The Phillies struggled in the immediate aftermath of Utley's injury, losing 12 of their first 20 games while hitting .233 with a .295 OBP and averaging 4.1 runs. Since then, they have won 18 of 23 while hitting .286 with a .354 OBP and averaging 5.1 runs.
In the 13 games before he hit the disabled list, Utley was 18-for-49 (.367) with a home run, double, triple, 11 RBI and nine runs scored. In his first 59 games, Utley hit .256 with a .375 OBP, .835 OPS, 10 home runs and 26 RBI.
Overall, he is hitting .277 with a .383 OBP, .849 OPS, 11 home runs, 37 RBI and 49 runs.
The Phillies opted to keep rookie outfielder Domonic Brown over Dobbs, who is hitting .191 with a .250 OBP and .569 OPS in 76 games. Dobbs' average peaked at .216 on July 26. In 14 games since, he is 2-for-25 with 1 extra base hit and no RBI.
Buy Phillies tickets 
Dobbs will not be missed. Sadly. Good guy by all accounts but not a major league player anymore. Brown should stay until RH is healthy. Then he goes down for two weeks and comes back up in September for the expanded roster. I'm ready to see Chase. That's for sure.— boredjake
Sorry to see Dobbs go. Good man; good baseball man. Was a gigantic reason they won in 2008. But, as you all have pointed out ad nauseum, he was killing them. Hope he finds his stroke.— John621- Tonka... does idiocy run in your family? When a person keeps saying the same thing over and over it is a mental illness and medicinal help is required.— Russ
- Tonka... does idiocy run in your family? When a person keeps saying the same thing over and over it is a mental illness and medicinal help is required.— Russ
Wheel, you're a dope. Dobbs is batting .100 as a pinch hitter this season, and about .120 over the last two seasons. he will positively not be back up for the stretch run. they'd be better off rolling greg gross out there to pinch hit at this point.— CosmoK- Bring up Rizzoti— tulsaphil
- I'm fine with the Dobbs move, but I think it's too soon for Utley. I hope he doesn't make an error tonight that costs them the game. This matters, the rehab games in Clearwater didn't and he still had 2 errors that the reports made sound like should have been 3. We'll see what happens.— kmon
- Yeah, Dobbs hasn't hit like he used to. But he sure got some big hits for this team and we should never forget that. We'll see him again in a few weeks. Lets hope the baseball gods see fit to smile upon him at least one more time.— wooderice
- tonka, open mouth, insert foot, again.— mike l
- Well, I guess Manuel finally lost his man-crush on Dobbs as this is a great move. I do not understand sending Brown down for 2 weeks. Howard may not be back for two weeks anyway.— jpelle36
- Well, I guess Manuel finally lost his man-crush on Dobbs as this is a great move. I do not understand sending Brown down for 2 weeks. Howard may not be back for two weeks anyway.— jpelle36
- I don't hink Utley is ready to return. 2 for 10 in CLearwater? He needs more time. Valdez has done a credible job at second base. He is a better defensive second baseman than Utley, IMHO. To hee man can't hit as well. If he hit like Utley he would be steal. He's light years ahead of Bruntlett— mannoman
- Murph- He was 3 for 12, not 2 for 10. I would imagine your other stats are filled with errors as well but I’m not bored enough to check. I was only bored enough to spend three minutes reading your column and writing this response.— NMPartners
- If Utley is really ready to be back in the lineup and in the midst of the season after 4 rehab games, why does MLB need a spring training season longer than one week?— innc
- Russ...don't blame Tonka,he simply isn't creative enough to be able to think or write anything else...give him abreak.— ctfan
