Utley primed to return Tuesday

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Chase Utley's postoperative timetable continues to be ahead of schedule, and the all-star second baseman remains on track to rejoin the Phillies on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Working his way back from a torn ligament in his right thumb, Utley played the second game of a rehabilitation assignment with the single-A Clearwater Threshers on Sunday, going 0 for 3 in a 6-0 loss to Lakeland.

He is scheduled to appear in both games of a doubleheader with the Threshers on Monday, playing the first seven-inning game at second base and the second game as a designated hitter. Utley said the plan is to fly back to Philadelphia after the nightcap.

"My thumb feels good," Utley said. "It's not bothering me at all. I don't know what the plans will be after that. I'll have to discuss that with [manager] Charlie [Manuel] and [general manager Ruben] Amaro and go from there."

Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock, who was with the team in New York, said Sunday that the reports on Utley are positive. He would not definitively say that Utley would be activated Tuesday if all goes well. The second baseman will be reevaluated by team doctors then.

"He told us he felt great," Proefrock said.

Manuel said "it's a probability" that Utley will return Tuesday.

Typically a fast healer, Utley was expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after surgery, according to doctors and the team's athletic training staff. Instead, he could be back in the lineup this week, well ahead of his expected return date of about Aug. 26.

"I'm not that surprised that I've been able to come back so quickly," said Utley, 31. "I've just been pretty fortunate that everything has gone well with my thumb so far."

This isn't the first time Utley has accelerated a return from surgery. In the 2008 off-season, Utley underwent hip surgery and was not expected back until May. But he played in some spring-training games and was ready on opening day.

On Wednesday, Utley was cleared to start swinging a bat by hand specialist Andrew Weiland, who performed the surgery on his thumb July 1.

On Friday, Utley worked out at the Phillies' Clearwater complex and felt healthy enough to play in a game. His first rehabilitation game was Saturday, when he went 1 for 3 with a triple in his final at-bat.

In Sunday's rehab game, Utley grounded out twice and flied out to left field. In the field, he committed one error.

"Physically, he appears to be fine," Threshers manager Dusty Wathan said. "The only thing he needs to do is get his timing down."

Monday's games will give Utley as many at-bats as possible before his scheduled return.

"I know I could use a few more plate appearances," he said. "The big thing is just getting into the flow again and making sure my timing is down in the batter's box."

How the Phillies have fared at second base since June 29, when Chase Utley missed the first of 42 games with a thumb injury:*

                  G      GS       H       AB   AVG.   HR      RBIs

Wilson Valdez       36       32       29       114    .254     2        9

Placido Polanco     7        7        9       32   .281     0        2

Cody Ransom        4       1        1       6    .167    0        0

Juan Castro        4        2       0       7    .000    0        0

*-Statistics through Saturday.

Utley was batting .277 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs when he was hurt June 28.EndText