Phillies Reportedly Signing Infielder Mike Fontentot To Minor League Contract

The Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Arizona Diamondback on Monday, however, lost in the shuffle of Philly's fourth straight loss was the return of second basemen Chase Utley to the diamond. Utley, who hasn't played yet this season because of a knee injury, wasn't in the lineup but he did take battling practice and fielded ground balls before Monday's contest.

"I'm not happy that I'm not playing," Utley, 33, said. "But I'm looking at it from a positive, like I always have. I've definitely gained strength over the past three weeks."

According to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Utley has been rehabbing in Phoenix at Fischer Sports Therapy and has gone from having a sting of pain every time he took the field in Spring Training to having no pain, just soreness, on Monday.

Utley did not reveal a timetable for his return, but Gelb hints that it maybe around the same amount of time as he missed in 2011 (46 games).

"I'd like to be back right now," Utley said. "I have to listen to my body, and right now it's telling me to continue to move forward with the things I'm doing. I don't want to put a certain date on it because I don't want to force something that's not ready to happen. When my knee is ready to go, I'll be out there."

The Philadelphia Phillies appeared to be the winner in veteran infielder Mike Fontenot's deliberations. Fontenot was trying to decide between offers from Philadelphia and the Atlanta Braves.

Fontenot has reportedly chosen the Phillies and will sign a minor league contract with the club (via Jim Bowden's Twitter). Philadelphia has a great need of a veteran infielder due to injuries. With Chase Utley out, the Phillies have been starting rookie Freddy Galvis at second base.

Fontenot was released by the Giants in late March. Last season for San Francisco, Fontenot hit .227 with 4 home runs and 21 RBI in 220 at-bats. His career average is a bit higher at .263 than what he showed in 85 games in 2011. While Fontenot has played second base, shortstop and third base, he has spent the majority of his career at second. His fielding percentage is also best at second base.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates.

The Philadelphia Phillies could be seeking some last-minute infield help before the 2012 season starts in free agent Mike Fontenot (via Jon Morosi's Twitter). The Giants released Fontenot on March 30.

Philadelphia will be missing Chase Utley indefinitely as the second baseman rehabs his injured knees in Arizona. Fontenot has played several positions during his big league career, but his spent most of his time at second base.

In 85 games for San Francisco last season, Fontenot hit .227 with 4 home runs and 21 RBI in 220 at-bats. The left-handed hitting veteran bats .263 for his MLB career (Cubs, Giants) with an on-base percentage of .332 and a slugging percentage of .406. Out of second base, third base and shortstop, Fontenot's fielding percentage is best at second base (.981).

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates.

The Philadelphia Phillies won the first of two exhibition games against the Pittsburgh Pirates before the two teams face off for real on Opening Day on Thursday. Freddy Galvis hit an RBI triple in the seventh inning to put the Phillies up 4-3 for good.

The Phillies had to juggle the top of their lineup around with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard out. Jimmy Rollins was moved into the No. 3 slot, hitting a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a line drive RBI double in the third. Juan Pierre took over leadoff duties and did well, scoring two runs.

Joe Blanton started for Philly, allowing two runs and and three hits in 4 2/3 innings. The Phillies took a 3-0 lead into the fourth inning, but Andrew McCutchen hit a solo run in the sixth to tie the game at 3 runs apiece.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates

Finally, just a few short days separate the Philadelphia Philles and their first regular season game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday afternoon.

It's been a bumpy ride for the Phillies so far. The team has been plagued by its fair share of injuries in Spring Training, with Chase Utley the most notable Phillie missing serious time.

The team has performed poorly on the field, having just a 12-16 mark and allowing more runs than any other team in the Grapefruit League sans the Houston Astros and Pirates.

However, with a bevy of talent still healthy and ready to get going, Philadelphia should be a force for the long haul. The pitching will fall into place with Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels leading the charge. The big question is how many runs can this team score with Utley and Ryan Howard missing time?

Soon enough, we'll all find out.

Monday, April 2: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 7:05 p.m. ET

The Phillies will host the Pirates in a mini two game set before the regular season commences.

Tuesday, April 3: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia 7:05 p.m. ET

They do it all again before getting ready to meet each other when it counts on Thursday.

According to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly, Jose Contreras is likely to start the season on the disabled list. Contreras is still recovering from elbow surgery he had in September, but he might not be on the DL that long.

Contreras will stay in Florida when the team heads north on Sunday and he will pitch in minor-league games. He could come off the disabled list on April 10, when the season will be just four games old.

The 40 year old pitched 14 innings for the Phillies last season, notching five saves while sporting a 3.86 ERA. Despite his age, Contreras still has plenty of velocity on his fastball. He averaged 92.5 MPH last season, which is a tick higher than his career average of 91.8.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates

Veteran outfielder Juan Pierre has made the Philadelphia Phillies roster, the team announced on Thursday (via CSN Philly).

Pierre had been signed to a minor league contract in January and was competing with Scott Podsednik, another veteran on a minor league contract, for an outfielder spot. The team said Podsednik remains with the organization and still has a chance to make the roster.

Podsedenik wasn't so sure about that possibility.

"It's not looking too good," said Podsednik, who met with team officials late Thursday afternoon.

Pierre's contract mandated that he made the 40-man roster by this Friday, or be released. Pierre, who is hitting .313 in Spring Training, was not made available for comment.

Last season, Pierre hit .279 for the White Sox and had 178 hits (26 more than any of the Phillies' players). Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said about Pierre

"When I do lineups, there are some positions I like Pierre in," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's done a lot of things in his career. He'll stay ready and he works his butt off. He wants to play. However I want to use him, I feel he's a fit."

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates

The Philadelphia Phillies have been without Ryan Howard and Chase Utley all spring training and don't know when either will return.

Starting pitcher Cliff Lee understands that losing both stars is a harsh blow, but points towards the Phillies' depth as evidence that the team can survive injuries to key players.

"We've got a lot of guys. We're not leaning on one or two guys offensively or one or two guys on the mound. We've got depth and we've got guys who are more than capable of stepping in and filling in those holes that are left when --- you can't replace Utley or Howard, but we've dealt with injuries before with keys guys and figured out a way to get it done," said Lee.

To watch Lee's entire interview, click here or watch the video below:

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates.

The Philadelphia Phillies took home the NL East crown last season with a 102-60 record and led MLB in attendance. However, the Phillies just one year removed from a World Series appearance, fell in the NL Division Series to the St. Louis Cardinals and saw Ryan Howard tear his Achilles tendon on the final out of the series. Howard is still on the mend as the Phillies go through Spring Training for the 2012 season. How will Philadelphia fare this season in the NL East?

SB Nation's Amy K. Nelson breaks down the NL East in quick takes in the following video:

For Nelson, the Phillies are one of two "wildcard teams" in the NL East. Pitching will once again be a strength for the Phillies, but the infielder injuries can't be overlooked right now.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates.

With only nine games left in Spring Training, the Philadelphia Phillies and their fans are ready to just get out of Florida and gear up for the regular season.

However, the schedule remains and this week is chock full of contests. The Phillies will try to get over .500 and stay healthy. Both of those things have been hard to come by so far.

Monday, March 26: Philadelphia vs Boston 1:00 p.m. ET

The Red Sox are a nice measuring stick for this Phillies group with high expectations.

Tuesday, March 27: Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh 1:05 p.m. ET

The interstate rivalry sees another chapter with Clint Hurdle and the Pirates coming to Clearwater.

Wednesday March 28: Philadelphia at Minnesota 1:05 p.m. ET

Joe Mauer and his .333 average will be ready and waiting for Philly.

Thursday March 29: Philadelphia vs Tampa Bay 1:00 p.m. ET

Evan Longoria and the Rays come into town for a Grapefruit League showdown.

Friday March 30: Philadelphia at New York Yankees 7:05 p.m. ET

The Phillies get to visit Derek Jeter and the Yankees for a nighttime tilt.

Saturday March 31: Philadelphia vs Toronto 1:05 p.m. ET

The Blue Jays are a very stiff test, holding the best record in baseball at 19-4 going into this week.

Sunday April 1: Philadelphia at Atlanta 1:05 p.m. ET

This will be a final look at the Braves who appear to be set for another competitive season.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for all your news and updates.

The New York Yankees cut six players from the Spring Training roster Sunday, among them utility shortstop Ramiro Pena. With Chase Utley out indefinitely with a recurring knee injury, the Philadelphia Phillies have reportedly shown interest in acquiring Pena as a versatile stopgap.

The Phillies' infield woes are very well-documented. Though Pena was relegated to the Yankees' AAA affiliate Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Philly is getting desperate at this point. Pena hit .261 in 23 at-bats this spring, hitting one home run and RBI with five strikeouts. He is hitting .233 for his career, with two home runs and 32 RBIs in 309 at-bats.

Much more attractive than Pena's production is his versatility, however. He has played second base, third base and shortstop in three seasons with New York.

For more on the Phillies' infield troubles and Spring Training, be sure to check out the SB Nation blog The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly.

Five days after leaving Spring Training to take care of a recurring knee injury, Philadelphia Phillies second basemen Chase Utley told reporters he believes he'll return sometime during the 2012 season, however, he doesn't know when.

"I truly believe I can get past this and contribute. But it's going to take a little time... It's not bad enough to have microfracture surgery," Utley said. "It's not bad enough to end my career. It's an issue I'm going to have to deal with."

Utley says he's already starting to feel better after meeting with a local specialist, who has treated other Philly athletes such as Donovan McNabb & Jim Thome.

"I've already seen benefits over the last four or five days from doing some new exercises," Utley said. "I'm very optimistic this is going to turn out well. But again it's going to take a little time and I have to do this right. I think it's important, not only for this year, but for the rest of my career. I'm 33 years old. I know some people think that's old, but I still feel like I have a lot of baseball left in me."

For more on the Philies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for the latest news and updates.

A year ago today, Dominic Brown was a consensus top 10 prospect in Major League Baseball. Now the 24 year old is struggling to fit into the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

On Friday, the Phillies optioned Brown to Minor League camp. The outfielder has been hampered by injuries throughout the spring, and although he's hit just fine, he's shown he needs more work on defense.

"He's got some work to do there," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We're not in the mode right now to develop guys at the Major League level, and he's a guy that needs to get to the point where we're comfortable with him in all phases of the game and then get him back to Philadelphia when he's ready to do that."

Brown, as you can imagine, wasn't thrilled with the decision.

Asked if playing in Triple-A will at least give him a clear mind, Brown said, "No, I wanted to be here, man. That's the goal, but things happen."

For more on the Philies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for the latest news and updates.

The Philadelphia Phillies' infield woes continue as utility infielder Michael Martinez has broken a bone in his foot (via Philly.com).

Martinez was hit by a pitch on Tuesday in the seventh inning of Philadelphia's 4-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Martinez stayed in the game and scored a run. However, following the game, the team did an x-ray on Martinez' foot and found that he had broken the fourth metatarsal of his right foot. Martinez is in a walking boot. The Phillies did not give a timetable for his return.

With the reassignment of Kevin Frandsen, the Phillies could be left with just Jimmy Rollins and Freddy Galvis on the roster to play the shortstop position.

Martinez was 10-31 in Spring Training (.323). For his MLB career, Martinez has hit .262 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI in 107 at-bats.

For more on the Philies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for the latest news and updates.

This is not good news for Philadelphia Phillies fans.

Chase Utley has left Clearwater, FL to visit a specialist in search of answers on his knee issues. Utley has been bothered by a variety of knee-related ailments, and now has hit a snag in his recovery, according to Spike Eskin of CBS.

This statement was released Monday morning by general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.:

"Chase’s rehab process has come to a bit of a plateau. He has made some strides but not enough to take the field. He is headed out of town for a few days to be evaluated by a specialist that has helped athletes overcome his issue. We anticipate that this trip will allow him to build on what he has already done with Scott Sheridan in order to get over the hump. He wants more than anything to be on the field with his teammates and we believe that this is a step in that direction."

If Utley is out for an extended period of time, Philadelphia could be in major trouble. With Ryan Howard already out of the lineup until June at the earliest and Jimmy Rollins a constant injury concern, the Philies lineup isn't overwhelming by any means.

For more on the Philies, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly for the latest news and updates.

According to Matt Gelb of the Philly Inquirer, the Philadelphia Phillies have released pitcher, Dontrelle Willis:

The Phillies have released Dontrelle Willis.

— Matt Gelb (@magelb) March 16, 2012

Willis ptiched 2.2 innings for the Phillies this spring, allowed five runs, walked four batters and struck out none for a WHIP of 3.38 and a 16.87 ERA.

The 30 year old Willis has been on a steady decline since bursting onto the Major League scene as a 21 year old rookie in 2003 and dominating the National League in 2005 with the Florida Marlins.

Willis won 22 games in 2006 with a sparkling ERA of 2.63. Since then he's won 26 games total. Last season he pitched 75.2 innings for the Cincinnati Reds, during which he accumulated a 5.00 ERA and 1.52 WHIP.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out our blog The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly.

It's only the middle of March, but general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is already looking around for a piece or two.

According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, the Philadelphia Phillies are searching for some infield help with all of their current issues looming.

With Ryan Howard not schedule back until sometime in June, Chase Utley dealing with knee tendinitis, Placido Polanco trying to recover from a double groin tear and Jimmy Rollins always an injury concern, Philly has reason to be proactive.

Michael Martinez is still the favorite to be on the Opening Day roster as the main utility man, but after making three errors this Spring and now being a little banged up, the door has opened.

Other infielders the Phillies are considering are Pete Orr, Hector Luna, Freddy Galvis and Kevin Frandsen, all of whom are in camp.

In the meantime, Amaro Jr. will keep looking for an upgrade to a position that could be very vital as the long season demands days off for some veterans.

For more on the Phillies, be sure to check out our blog The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly.

The Phillies are looking to get back on the winning path after losing to the Yankees 3-0 on Sunday. Philadelphia has been hot and cold so far this Spring with a 4-5-1 record (not counting a victory over Florida State).

Monday, March 12

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m. ET

This will be a nice opportunity for Charlie Manuel's group to get going on the right track this week.

Tuesday, March 13

Philadelphia at Houston, 1:05 p.m. ET

The Astros aren't expected to contend this season, but could be fighting hard in Spring Training with so many young players vying for jobs.

Wednesday, March 14

Philadelphia vs. Minnesota, 1:05 p.m. ET

The Phillies will face one of the best coached teams in baseball when Ron Gardenhire's group comes to Clearwater.

Thursday, March 15

Philadelphia vs. Atlanta, 1:05 p.m. ET and Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m. ET (Split Squad)

This will be a nice chance for all the players on the fringe to show their stuff against one of the Phillies' most bitter rivals.

Friday, March 16

Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m. ET

Philly will get its third look at the Pirates this Spring.

Saturday, March 17

Philadelphia vs. Toronto, 1:05 p.m. ET

After beating the Blue Jays 7-0 in their inaugrual meeting this Spring, Jose Bautista and co. will be out for revenge.

Sunday, March 18

Philadelphia at Toronto, 1:05 p.m. ET

The Phillies will hit the road to close out the week against a potential playoff team this year in the Blue Jays.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, Cole Hamels, has surgery during the off-season on his left elbow and he says it's helped his changeup.

"I wasn't able to turn it over as much and get the drop or the fade as much as I'm normally accustomed to [last season]," Hamels said. "I was able to get away with it, because of the difference in speed and it still did move where I got a lot more ground balls than swings and misses. I'm just happy it does have the type of moment it does right now, because that's what I'm used to, and I like that feeling."

The 27 year old Hamels is coming off a career year, winning 14 games with an ERA of 2.79 and a K/9 rate of 8.08. The improvement Hamels made last season was his ground ball/fly ball ratio, which was 1.60 – up from his career rate of 1.14.

For more on the Phillies and Spring Training, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly's spring training stream.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown will undergo an MRI on his sprained right thumb on Thursday (via CSN Philly).

Brown sprained the thumb while diving for a ball in Monday's Spring Training game against the New York Yankees. This is not the first injury to the thumb for Brown. He jammed it two years ago and broke the the hamate bone of his right hand last spring.

Phillies assistant general manager Scott Proefrock says the team is just being cautious by evaluating Brown.

"We don't think this is serious," Proefrock said. "But we want to take every precaution."

In 91 career games for the Phillies, Brown has hit .236 with 7 home runs, 32 RBI and 59 strikeouts. Brown's career fielding percentage is .955. Brown is 2-8 at the plate with a triple and a walk in Spring Training this season.

For more on the Phillies and Spring Training, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly's spring training stream.

The Phillies claimed their first victory of the spring with a 9-3 win over the New York Yankees this afternoon in Clearwater. It marked the 2012 debut of both Joe Blanton & Placido Polanco, who each looked strong. Blanton threw two shutout innings and Polanco finished 2-3, driving home the game’s first run.

Polly told CSNPhilly that he felt good afterward.

“I’m very happy. I dove for a ball and didn’t feel anything,” Polanco said. “I didn’t expect anything because I’ve been here for a while and I’ve done a lot of stuff. But game situations are a little bit different when you’re out there. But I felt really good.”

Blanton, who missed most of last season due to an elbow injury looked sharp, retiring all six batters he faced. Five grounded out and the sixth went down on strikes.

Jimmy Rollins went 2-2 with a walk and Jim Thome, who also had two hits, came just shy of his first homer of the spring when he hit a double off the center field wall.

The Phils will get right back at at it tomorrow as they take on Blue Jays at 1:05 pm.

It's only March 5th, but today the Yankees will go for their first "sweep" of the year against the reigning NL East champion Phillies.

On Monday, Joe Blanton will take the hill to try and stop the skid at 1:05 p.m. ET on COMCAST.

In the first two meetings, New York has won 8-5 and 7-4 on Saturday and Sunday respectively. So far, Curtis Granderson has appeared to stay hot even through winter, hitting a home run and scoring twice in the first contest. Then yesterday Alex Rodriguez hit a bomb off of Roy Halladay, en route to a 3 for 3 afternoon.

For Philadelphia, Hunter Pence went deep on Sunday in a losing effort off of Freddy Garcia after doing so the day before against Ivan Nova. Jonathan Papelbon has also been a noticeable bright spot in a very small sample size, throwing a 1-2-3 inning on Saturday.

As for the rest of this week's schedule:

Tuesday: Philadelphia at Toronto - 1:05 p.m. ET

A nice time to get a good luck at Jose Bautista, when the games don't count.

Wednesday: Houston at Philadelphia - 1:05 p.m. ET

Hunter Pence gets to play his old mates once again.

Thursday: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia - 1:05 p.m. ET

Interesting to see how much the Pirates have continued to improve under Clint Hurdle.

Friday: Philadelphia at Detroit - 1:05 p.m. ET

Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera get to show off their new one-two combo

Saturday: Baltimore at Philadelphia - 1:05 p.m. ET

The Orioles get a nice test for their young team while the Phillies can find out exactly how they're coming along.

Sunday: Philadelphia at NY Yankees - 1:05 p.m. ET

And we start again...

For more on the Phillies and Spring Training, be sure to check out The Good Phight and SB Nation Philly.

The Philadelphia Phillies will be without second baseman Chase Utley Saturday when they open Spring Training with a Grapefruit League game against the Yankees, and manager Charlie Manuel said he's in no rush to pencil Utley back into the lineup.

Manuel's plan is to give the oft-injured five-time All-Star plenty of rest in an attempt to keep him fresh for the regular season.

"It might be a little while before I play him," Manuel said. "I want him to keep doing his regular workouts. Right now, I'm in no hurry to play him as long as we can have him ready when the season starts. We just want him to feel good about where he's at with his practice and hitting."

Last week, Utley suggested Manuel would follow such a plan.

"We talked about he transition going into spring training and the first few weeks are going to be a little slower than normal," Utley said. "You guys might not see me on the field on a daily basis, so don't freak out if that happens." (via Philly.com)

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

The Philadelphia Phillies kick off their Grapefruit League schedule on Saturday, March 3, in a game against the New York Yankees. The two teams will follow Friday's game with another on Saturday, with the Phillies at "home" for the first and the Yankees at "home" for the second meeting.

In other Phillies Spring Training news, Shane Victorino is looking for a five-year contract extension from the Phillies.

Victorino said this week he would prefer to make a deal with Philadelphia sooner rather than later. He also said he is looking for a five-year deal, but is willing to take a reasonable hometown discount to avoid free agency.

The 31 year-old outfielder is set to become a free agent at year's end, if a deal isn't agreed to prior. Victorino is coming off his best season as a pro, recording a WAR of 5.9.

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel is raving about the talent of closer Phillippe Aumont during Spring Training.

"The ball jumps out of his hand, man," manager Charlie Manuel said. "I love his talent. Once he gets consistent with his command, his stuff will play real big." (via CSN Philly)

Aumont, the 23-year-old righthander, is expected to begin the season at Triple-A. His talent was on display on Wednesday in the Phillies Spring Training exhibition against Florida State University. Aumont struck out one batter and allowed a single in one inning of work. He also only needed 13 pitches.

Aumont posted an ERA of 2.68 and had 13.1 strikeouts per 9 innings in the minors last season. The big pitcher (6-7, 255 pounds) went through a failed stint as a starter in 2010. Now he's back in the bullpen, where he says he belongs.

"The bullpen is where I want to be," Aumont said. "It's what suits me. I feel more comfortable. I'm able to be aggressive. As a starter you need to be more relaxed."

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has announced his starting lineup for the first Spring Training game, which will be an exhibition against Florida State University at Bright House Field.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins will lead off for the Phillies on Wednesday. Austin Hyatt will be on the mound for Philadelphia.

Hyatt will be followed by lefties Jake Diekman and Jeremy Horst. Michael Schwimer, Joe Savery, J.C. Ramirez, B.J. Rosenberg and Phillippe Aumont are also slated to work in the game. (via CSN Philly)

Here's the complete starting lineup for Philadelphia:

Jimmy Rollins, SS

Juan Pierre, DH

Shane Victorino, CF

Hunter Pence, RF

Ty Wigginton, 3B

Domonic Brown, LF

John Mayberry Jr., 1B

Michael Martinez, 2B

Tuffy Gosewisch, C

Manuel said he would like to get most of the players in the regular lineup at least one at-bat during Wednesday's game. The Phillies' Grapefruit League opening game is scheduled for Saturday against the Yankees.

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

Ryan Howard has left Phillies spring training to be examined by the doctor who performed his surgery over the winter after experiencing what Charlie Manuel called a "little setback." However, Phillies athletic trainer Scott Sheridan met the media this afternoon and disagreed with that characterization. He explained exactly what Howard will have looked at.

"The last couple days he developed what we think is a delayed reaction to his sutures," said Sheridan. "He's going to be traveling to Baltimore where he's going to see [Dr. Mark Myerson] tomorrow. Mark is going to evaluate him and then we'll determine what his treatment plan is from there."

Sheridan stressed that this wasn't a "setback."

"He did not have a setback. We just need to have this one area evaluated. It's just something that happens as part of the rehab process. The achilles tendon is notorious for not healing well, the skin over top of it. Sometimes these things happen, that's why when you look at setting time frames you never say somebody's head or behind schedule until he's on the field."

Sheridan says that he's happy with Howard's progress so far.

"Ryan has been doing great. He's been on the field doing the things we expect of him at this point and we just hope things keep going in the right direction."

The team expects Howard to return to Clearwater on Wednesday.

After being acquired in a mid-season trade with the Houston Astros, Hunter Pence hit 11 home runs, drove in 35 runs and stole a base in 54 games with the Phillies. Pence's trip-slash was .324/.394/.560, which extrapolated for an entire season, would be the best numbers of Pence's five-year Major League career.

At 29 years old Pence is in both his physical and baseball prime and both he and the Phillies expect big things production-wise this season. Pence recently joined Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia to discuss all things Phillies.

" ... We are stretching and it's me, Jim Thome, Ty Wigginton and we are talking about how there are some amazingly accomplished big league ball players that might not make the team. There are some All-Stars who are going to be sitting on the bench and Thome said it best, ‘Any time you got All-Stars sitting on the bench you are looking pretty good.'"

On his contract:

"Oh man it is tough to describe in words I feel. It is amazing. I am ecstatic. I think to be playing baseball with this team, this Philadelphia team, this organization and the fans. It's fun and we're good and we are going to come out every day and come after you to win the ball game. It's that mind set and it's the mentality. It starts with Charlie [Manuel] and the ownership and it's fun to see everyone go into work together, so we are excited."

Pence will start in right field and probably hit anywhere from third to fifth in the Phillies lineup.

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

Chase Utley, the 33 year-old second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, is coming off a knee injury which limited him to only 103 games last season – a season in which his production greatly declined.

Utley hit a career-low 11 home runs after averaging 29 home runs per season from 2005 to 2009. Although age and injuries have contributed to Utley's inevitable decline, he says he feels much better this spring training than last.

"It feels significantly better. Last year it was very uncomfortable, especially the first week," Utley said. "Right now, I think I'm in a good place. The goal for me is to kind of stay in the same place and improve in small increments and not try to irritate it to the point where I'd have to slow down.

He credits his improving health to an off-season in which he was able to regain strength in his legs.

"I think there's no doubt that the things I was doing didn't allow me to strengthen my legs," he said. "But this offseason, I was able to strengthen them, maybe not quite as much as in the past, but they're definitely stronger than they were going into last year. My goal now is to maintain that. Ideally, it would be nice to make them stronger, but at the same time, I have to keep them loose and take it easy."

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

For the first time in his Major League career, Jonathan Papelbon cannot call Fenway Park home. The new Philadelphia Phillies closer achieved great success in Boston, but he's looking forward to Philadelphia and Citizens Bank Park.

"The times that I have pitched there, I enjoy it because for some reason there, the hitter looks close to me. I know it's a small ballpark, but I love the intensity of the ballpark. You cannot duplicate that and that's the one thing that I'm really looking forward to," Papelbon said during an interview with CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury.

"It's different than any other stadium, I will say that. They are definitely on you. They know your name. They may know your kid's name and wife's name and everybody you know. So the fans are very smart, and that's what I enjoy about Philadelphia," Papelbon added.

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

Ryan Howard met the media at Phillies spring training today to discuss his rehab after tearing his ACL on the final out of the NLDS series against the Cardinals last season. Howard didn’t give a timetable for his return, but said he’s working hard to get back.

“The obvious goal is to want to get out there as soon as possible,” he said. "I’m just listening to my body. It will tell me when I’m ready. There are going to be times when your competitive nature takes over and you’re wanting to push a little more, but the training staff is doing a good job of keeping me in check – just making sure I’m doing baby step-type things.

It’s kind of like learning how to run all over again because I’ve been walking with a limp after walking in the boot for about two months."

Howard has of course not forgotten that he’s made the final out of the Phililes season for two straight years. He hopes to have another crack at a big at bat this season.

“It sucks and I know how it looks to everybody,” he said. “Having the season come down (to the last out) and you’re that guy. I try to stay positive. The last two seasons I got out. I figure I’m about due. I’d love to be in that situation again.”

The Phillies season begins in May and while Charlie Manuel has been optimistic about Howard’s chances to be ready, the smart money says the Phillies will play this cautiously and not bring back Howard until he’s absolutely ready.

For the ninth straight season, the Philadelphia Phillies will host Spring Training at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater, Florida.

The Phillies have been holding Spring Training in Clearwater since 1948, moving to Bright House Networks Field in 2004. The stadium, which seats up to 8,800 fans, hosts the team's Florida State League team through the regular season once Spring Training is over.

The Phillies formerly played in Jack Russell Memorial Stadium since 1955, but decided to move as other teams' facilities became more advanced and luxurious. Bright House Networks Field is located on the east side of Clearwater, nearer to big cities Tampa and St. Petersburg than Russell Stadium.

View the location of the Phillies Spring Training facility in regards to other Grapefruit League stadiums. For more coverage of the Phillies, visit our blog The Good Phight.

Jim Thome is apparently doing yoga now to keep flexible, and help his bad back deal with the stress of staying in a bent over position at first base. The 600-plus home run hitter may be called on to alleviate the absence of Ryan Howard, who is still coming back from a torn Achilles. Thome told Buster Olney that he will do whatever it takes to win a World Series (note: Insider subscription required) with the Philadelphia Phillies.

"I would've been open-minded if somebody else called, but this was great because I felt like they have a legitimate chance to win," said Thome. "That was big for me. I'm not going to sit here and say that I wouldn't have entertained an offer from another team, but when they were the team that called, and called early, you look at the position they've put themselves in, it made it very easy.

"Charlie told me, 'As far as how many days we'll put you out there at first base, we're not sure. But to sign here, you're going to have to play first base; you're going to have to play [in the field]. I told him, 'When the Philadelphia Phillies call and they ask you, you say yes.'"

The Phillies could go to Ty Wigginton or John Mayberry Jr. at first base, in which case Thome would be a powerful bat off the bench. He knows he has bad back and is playing under a $1.25 million contract. None of that will matter if he can end his career a champion.

"I don't go to the park thinking, 'Is my back going to break down?'" he said. "I do the things I need to do to get ready. I'm at a stage in my career where you do this and roll the dice to try to win a championship."

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit the SB Nation blog The Good Phight.

The Philadelphia Phillies have begun Spring Training in Clearwater, Florida, for the 2012 season. Pitchers and catchers have already reported but position players aren't required to appear until Thursday, Feb. 23. However, former MVP first baseman Ryan Howard, who is recovering from injury, made an appearance today. Howard spent time jogging, fielding ground balls and taking some batting practice swings (via Times Herald). The Phillies will be participating in the Grapefruit League for Spring Training.

Here is the 2012 Spring Training schedule for the Phillies (SS signifies split squad):

Feb 29, Florida State University at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 3, Yankees at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 4, Phillies at Yankees, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 5, Yankees at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 6, Phillies at Blue Jays, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 7, Astros at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 8, Pirates at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 9, Phillies at Tigers, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 10, Orioles at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 11, Tigers at Phillies (SS), 1:05 p.m.

Mar 11, Phillies (SS) at Yankees, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 12, Phillies at Pirates, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 13, Phillies at Astros, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 14, Twins at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 15, Braves at Phillies (SS), 1:05 p.m.

Mar 15, Phillies (SS) at Rays, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 16, Phillies at Pirates, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 17, Blue Jays at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 18, Phillies at Blue Jays, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 19, Tigers at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 20, Phillies at Orioles, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 22, Phillies at Blue Jays, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 23, Yankees at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 24, Phillies at Red Sox, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 25, Orioles at Phillies (SS), 1:05 p.m.

Mar 25, Phillies (SS) at Tigers, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 26, Sox at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 27, Pirates at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 28, Phillies at Twins, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 29, Rays at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Mar 30, Phillies at Yankees, 7:05 p.m.

Mar 31, Blue Jays at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.

Apr 1, Phillies at Braves, 1:05 p.m.

Apr 2, Pirates at Phillies (Citizens Bank Park), 7:05 p.m.

Apr 3, Pirates at Phillies (Citizens Bank Park), 7:05 p.m.

For more coverage of the Phillies, visit our blog The Good Phight.

The Phillies major offseason acquisition was closer Jonathan Papelbon, who they lured away from the Red Sox with a whopping four-year, $50 million deal. The new ninth inning man says he's looking forward to all the newness this season.

"Getting into a new clubhouse, meeting new guys, new teammates, putting my years in Boston behind me and starting a new chapter in my career are [some] of the more exciting things I've been able to do to this point," he said. "I think this year more than any other year, I've been more excited to get into the clubhouse than any Spring Training."

Papelbon says he expects the atmosphere to be similar to the one he knew in Boston.

"From what I can gather so far, it's very similar. It's very similar in that you look around the clubhouse and it seems like every other locker, there's a superstar in it. I'm not going to really try to compare from one clubhouse to another. I'm going to come to this clubhouse and try to do my job and jump on board and follow everybody else and learn the ways of Philadelphia Phillies baseball."

He says he's looking forward to seeing some fresh faces in the National League after years pitching in the AL East.

"To be honest, there really were some days when it got kind of old, sitting there saying, 'OK, I got to face Jeter again and he's seen everything I got and I've seen everything he's got.' That's why I say this brings a little bit of life to me this year by being in a new clubhouse and being able to face new guys. Playing the game of baseball the National League way ... I think you're playing baseball. I think it's a little more of a strategy game than it was in the American League. I don't know yet, but I'm assuming that it will be and I'm excited to do that."

Phillies pitchers and catchers hold their first workout today.