Chase Utley has returned to Philadelphia from his rehab stint in Clearwater and now seems likely to make his season debut tomorrow night as the Phillies host the Reds.
↵Utley had played four straight days in Florida, which was supposed to be the final test of his knee. His return to Philadelphia seems to be a strong signal that he wasn’t feeling pain and is ready to return to the Phillies lineup. Pete Orr has been optioned to AAA in anticipation of Utley's activation.
↵Utley hit .281 in Clearwater and was 2-5 with a double in his final game on Saturday. He had beat out an infield single the previous night.
↵Utley’s return could be a major lift to a Phillies offense that has been just dreadful over the past month. The team took two of three from the Rangers this weekend despite scoring just five runs. The Phillies have scored the 8th fewest runs in the majors his year and are last in the NL East in runs. Despite that, the Phils still have the best record in the National League.