What is a reasonable expectation for Chase Utley's return?
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What is a reasonable expectation for Chase Utley's return?
The news after the game overshadowed the actual game, an eminently forgettable one. As reporters shuffled through a quiet Phillies clubhouse to talk to Juan Pierre, the only offensive player who did anything of value Sunday, Chase Utley stood at his locker in baseball pants and his customary undershirt. A team official said, "Go to Chase." And that's when Utley volunteered to talk about his next step.
Utley expects to play in an extended spring training game Monday in Clearwater, Fla. He will not play the field; instead being the designated hitter is the first task. He can bat as many times as he wants in these pseudo games. It's a chance to see live pitching and simulate game action for the first time since Game 5 of the 2011 National League Division Series.
An extended spring training game is nothing more than a glorified scrimmage. The Phillies can have Utley bat as many times as they'd like. He can play the field, or take an inning off, do whatever.
For 10 days, Utley said, his chronically injured knees have "felt good."
"Ground balls, early on, one day it was good the next day it wasn’t so good," Utley said. "Right now on a daily basis they've been feeling pretty good. It’s still not perfect yet, but I think we're getting there, we’re on the verge of getting a lot better. I wanted to take this opportunity to get down there, get some at-bats, kind of get a head start in that aspect."
He put no timetable on a potential return. Ruben Amaro Jr. has said he believes it would benefit Utley to spend more time in Florida than he did last season during his recovery. So let's use that as a comparison.
Utley played his first extended spring game May 7, 2011. He played another May 9 and then abruptly began an official rehab assignment with single-A Clearwater on May 10. He spent 11 days with the Threshers and played in his first big-league game May 23.
So it was 16 days from extended spring to the majors a season ago. A similar period would put him on track to return June 19, which coincidentally begins a 10-game homestand. But Amaro said last week he does not believe Utley would play before the end of June. And all indications are Utley will take more time than he did in 2011.
Even so, he still looks like a sure bet to play before the All-Star break. Extended spring training ends June 14. One he starts an official rehab assignment, a 20-day clock begins ticking. So if he starts it as late as June 15, the latest he could return is July 5. That's four games before the break. Here's guessing it happens well before that.
Utley's knees obviously suffered as the 2011 season concluded. He has focused on not only reducing pain, but strengthening his lower half.
"They're definitely stronger at this point," he said. "I'll keep continuing to build them and get them stronger than they are now."
And no, his presence alone will not save the Phillies. But it sure can't hurt.
Have a question? Send it to Matt Gelb's Mailbag.
Have we ever heard of the diagnosis? Diagnostic testing done on the knees? What the treatment has been? Surgery indicated? Where is the Phillies team medical opinion? Maybe buried under the medical chart marked Ryan Howard Achilles Infection; how the heck did that happen? With the investment in these two, you would think there would be the equivalent of round the clock medical treatment.— boroughboy- That's been reported already and surgery is not an option. Dr. Layman here but it's basically bad arthritis under both knee caps.
— eman - Have to disagree with Matt saying Utley is a "sure bet" to return before the All-Star break. It's honestly hard to react to Utley's news because we don't know what he'll be like -- or how long he'll stick around, health-wise -- when Utley comes back. It's more like a " Guess it can't hurt" kind of thing.— eman
- give him some pain killers and get him out there like the football pro's would. For what they are paying him he needs to be out there or retire at this point otherwise he appears as a leach just cashing checks. Never understand how the Phils can be paying the guy and not know what he is doing or how he is doing. They should own him and have him in rehab working everyday— connorjr
- It's really tough coming back when you can't take those steroids anymore. Same goes for Howard. Essentially, the reason players in their early to mid 30s are breaking down all over baseball is why it is especially important to rebuild with young talent. All the other teams in the NL East are much younger---it's going to be very tough for this group to make it back.— Palestra Jon
- retzlaff….that's just stupid— connorjr
- Doesn't much matter. Utley has been in decline for the past 4 or 5 years. At this point he will likely hit a bit more than Galvis (not much though), but be very inferior defensively.— Bobphxville
- @bboy, where you been for the last two years? All of this has been covered ad nauseum.....
@eman, you are correct. There is literally no way to predict how long it could take. He may do fine for 2 weeks then wake up one morning wiht his knee aching like crazy and have to cut his training wayyy back. Right now, I'd say he's probably gearing up for right after the AS break. No real reason to hurry back now.
@retzlaff.....it's really doggie I'm worried about.— Mark1npt - His knees are toast...'13 is his last year w/the Phillies...d*mnit he used to be awesome.— CaptAwesome
- If/when he does return I wouldn't hold your breath for much in the way of production. Utley will go down as one of my favorite Phillies from this era, but he's basically been retired for a year and a half now. I know it's hard for a player (especially at his age/skill level) to concede it's time to hang 'em up, but this offseason he needs to take a long hard look at the situation and ask whether he is truly able to help the team or not. This whole "when will Chase play?" saga has gotten old and it's not doing the team (or front office) any good to be in a constant waiting pattern
- It's sad what PEDs can do to a player...— Dean Winchester
It's okay, Chase. No hurry. Take your time. Nobody's business but your own. Drinks are on me.— Sam Crow- There is no reasonable expectation other then retirement. Based on the comments made by several doctors familiar with the case, Chase has almost no cartilage remaining in his knees and is bone on bone. He can play only with painful injections as the cartilage is not going to grow back.
He will likely end up retiring and will probably need one or both knees replaced.
I wish the Phillies would be honest and simply disclose the severity of his knees and not play coy or give fans false hope.— blackknight - The Phillies should not count on anything special from Utley when he comes back. It is lunacy to expect Utley to be some kind of savior when his number began to decline even before his major injury problems. And the same goes for Howard. No way should Amaro or anyone else count on him to be a consistent force in the lineup. Heck, he wasn't that for the last two yers when he was healthy! It is just poor foresight by Amaro.— MrPhillie
- Chris "Wheels" Wheeler can beat him in a footrace down to 1st so does it really matter when he wants to return. You can't play baseball if you can't run.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
