Utley drops to sixth in batting order

BALTIMORE - When he penciled in his lineup card Monday afternoon, Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg reverted to what had worked for his struggling second baseman exactly a month earlier.

For the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Sandberg again dropped Chase Utley, who came into the night with a National League-worst .184 average, from third to sixth in the batting order. Against a lefthanded starting pitcher in Wei-Yin Chen, the 36-year-old Utley served as the Phillies' first designated hitter of the season.

Utley had notched five hits, including four doubles, in 12 at-bats when he was demoted to the sixth spot from May 15 to 19. Once he was bumped back up to third, he continued to hit well through the first game of this month before he entered another extended slump.

"Just against the lefthanded pitcher, [to] get some righthanded bats at the top of the order and some speed," Sandberg said of Monday's lineup change. "[Utley] actually swung well in the six spot, also, for a few days and it really got him going.

"Just trying to change the mind-set with him and also get some at-bats at the top of the order with some guys who are having some at-bats and swinging the bat right now."

Although Utley did not play the field Monday, Sandberg asked the veteran to take ground balls at first base before the game. The manager requested the same of utility infielder Andres Blanco. In he wake of Darin Ruf's demotion to triple-A Lehigh Valley, the Phillies lack a backup for first baseman Ryan Howard. Even for just a spot start, the team is reluctant to move Maikel Franco from third base.

Utley or Blanco could see game action at first base in the near future, especially considering that three more games with the designated hitter loom next week when the Phillies visit Yankee Stadium. Utley has appeared in 29 career games (22 starts) at first base. Blanco, 31, has played in 297 major-league games but never at first base.

Chad Billingsley (shoulder strain) is slated to throw 60 pitches Tuesday in his rehab start with triple-A Lehigh Valley and 80 in another on Sunday, Sandberg said. . . . Minor-league outfielder Kelly Dugan, sidelined for the season's first two months with a stress fracture in his right foot, was promoted to double-A Reading after a three-game stint with high-A Clearwater. . . . Righthander Mark Leiter Jr., the 24-year-old son of the former Phillies pitcher, was promoted to Reading to fill Aaron Nola's rotation spot.