Chase Utley reports that he is symptom free and has been cleared to return to exercise following a concussion sustained in the final game of the Braves series. Utley was hit in the head by a pitch from Eric O’Flaherty and was soon pulled from the game when admitted that he was feeling a little “foggy.” He did not travel with the team to Milwaukee, instead staying in Philadelphia for a number of concussion tests.
The team says they plan to be cautious with him, but also say that his progress has been very positive. He is not expected to rejoin the team when they travel to Houston, but then again… what’s the rush? The Phils have won three straight against the 2nd and 3rd best teams in the NL without him and have an all but insurmountable lead in the division. A few extra days off for Chase as we approach the playoffs isn’t going to hurt anyone.