Out since May 20 with a strained oblique, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has been cleared to begin a minor-league rehab assignment tonight at Double-A.
Assuming he doesn’t have a setback Utley’s rehab stint is expected to be just a few games, potentially setting him up to come off the disabled list this weekend.
Philadelphia is 14-13 in Utley’s absence, but Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com points out that his replacements at second base have hit a combined .190 with a .461 OPS. Utley hit .272 with an .814 OPS in 44 games before the injury.
