Utley Deactivated From DL

Added on May 23, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

The wait for Phillies second baseman Chase Utley appears to finally be over. After sitting out the first two months of the season with knee tendinitis, Utley is scheduled to be removed from the disabled list today. He rejoined the team on Sunday and declared himself ready to play.

Utley’s absence has been felt throughout the lineup. Wilson Valdez and Pete Orr, both of whom have filled the void at second, are hitting below .235 with zero home runs and 12 RBI. To put that in perspective, starting pitcher Cole Hamels is batting .238.

In addition to the hole at second base, the Phillies are struggling to produce runs. They rank 12th in the National League in runs scored and RBI. Third baseman Placido Polanco is the only everyday starter hitting over .300 (.335) and only three players have belted more than five homers.

Utley’s time away, coupled with the offseason exodus of Jayson Werth, has also affected slugger Ryan Howard’s numbers. His 10 home runs is tied for third in the NL and his 36 RBI ranks second, but with little to no protection around him in the lineup, he’s battled consistency much of the season, hitting a painfully average .243.

If nothing else, Utley will give opposing pitchers another dangerous bat to worry about. The five-time All-Star is a career .293 hitter who has blasted 80 dingers in the last three years. His leadership and clutch play in big games has contributed greatly to the team’s recent success. Bottom line: when Utley is healthy and swinging with power, the Phillies are much more potent at the plate.

The bad news is they are averaging 2.8 runs per game in the month of May. The good news is their staff has yielded the fewest runs in baseball and their starting rotation has hurled seven shutouts and leads the Majors in complete games and strikeouts.

At 28-18, Philly owns the second-best record in baseball and leads the NL East by 1.5 games. Tonight they begin a four-game home series against the Reds.

Source: ESPN.com