Maikel Franco will test sore wrist on Friday

PHOENIX - Maikel Franco expects to avoid the disabled list after his wrist injury scare in Tuesday night's Phillies loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"I think I'll be fine in a couple days," the rookie third baseman said Wednesday morning before the series finale at Chase Field.

Franco said he felt much better Wednesday. He wore a splint on his left wrist, which was hit by a Jeremy Hellickson fastball in the first inning Tuesday. By the look of the pitch and the 22-year-old's reaction at the time, it seemed as if he might have suffered a break. He thought the same thing, but X-rays were negative. He was diagnosed with a bruise.

Franco wasn't sure how many games he would miss, describing it as a day-to-day situation. He will try to swing a bat on Friday afternoon, according to interim manager Pete Mackanin, and the Phillies will reevaluate him then.

"I don't expect to have him Friday, but we're going to wait and see," Mackanin said.

Andres Blanco started at third base Wednesday in a 7-6 win and was 2 for 5 with a home run.

As expected, Chase Utley sat out the series finale, the second baseman's second time out of the lineup in six games since his return from the disabled list.

The August trade candidate should be back in the lineup for the series opener Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He has seven hits, including three doubles, in 17 at-bats since his return from an ankle injury.

According to Fox Sports, the Phillies and San Francisco Giants have discussed an Utley trade. There is no indication that any deal is close. Teams in the market for Utley might wait for a larger sample size before acting on a trade, considering the player's recent injury and his dismal first-half statistics.

The morning after allowing a whopping 11 earned runs in one inning, David Buchanan packed his bags in the Chase Field visitors' clubhouse.

The Phillies' 26-year-old righthander was optioned back to triple-A Lehigh Valley before the series finale. Lefthanded reliever Cesar Jimenez had his contract purchased from Lehigh Valley and joined the team a couple of hours before first pitch.

Buchanan was only the third Phillies pitcher since 1900 to give up 11 runs in an inning, and the first since Hal Kelleher allowed a franchise-record 12 in a disastrous eighth inning in 1938 at Wrigley Field. Reggie Grabowski surrendered 11 runs (10 earned) in a start in 1934.

The Phillies are off Thursday and Monday, so they could get by without calling up another starter until Aug. 22 in Miami. They could promote one sooner, however, to stretch out the innings of rookies Aaron Nola and Adam Morgan.

The Phillies come into their weekend series 0-4 this season against the Brewers, who swept them at Citizens Bank Park from June 29-July 2. . . . Pitching prospect Ben Lively was placed on the seven-day disabled list with a right shoulder strain. The 23-year-old righthander has a 4.17 ERA in 22 starts for double-A Reading.