He’s back. Well, almost.
According to Dave Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News, second baseman Chase Utley has packed up his things at Single-A Clearwater and is headed back to Philly in anticipation of a Monday activation from the disabled list.
Utley has not played in a major league game this season due to right patellar tendinitis. He spent close to two weeks on a minor league rehab assignment with the Clearwater Threshers, posting a respectable .281/.361/.438 batting line, one home run and four RBI across 36 plate appearances.
The Phillies are likely to demote utilityman Pete Orr to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday afternoon to clear a 25-man roster spot. That, or they could designate Wilson Valdez for assignment.
Either way, the Phillies are about to get a big boost offensively and defensively. Utley boasts a stellar .894 career OPS and has finished with more than 90 RBI in five of his eight major league seasons.