In light of Chase Utley’s injury problems, there seem to be plenty of questions surrounding him and but the answers are much harder to find.
When did his knee start bothering him? Was it this spring or was it bothering him during the off season but he didn’t tell anybody? I know he’s had some tendinitis problems during past season, but is it getting worse? Did the work at spring training flare it up?
Do they need to go in knee and do arthroscopic surgery? A scope now would allow him to get ready by the start of the season. Can they remedy the situation with a scope or does he need more? Will they have to considering a more serious surgical procedure?
is it time to start talking about moving him to the outfield? Can he play every day at second base with his knee problems?
Is leftfield a solution or does moving him to the outfield cause more problems because an outfielder has to run full speed more than a second baseman?
There’s no question that the Phillies haven’t been totally forthcoming with what they’ve had to say about Utley’s health. At first it was nothing but early training camp soreness. We see now that those comments were total garbage.
It makes you wonder whether they’re being totally forthcoming now.
How many games can the team afford to see him miss? Is playing without Chase Utley a probability? How long will it take for him to get his timing? Should they have him taking batting practice or should they shut him down totally? Is the twisting and pressure on his knee during batting practice keeping the knee irritated?
Is this going to be a lingering thing? Will they have to rest him more than they were planning on in the upcoming 2011 season?
Is this going to make it nearly impossible for Chase to have a bounce back year after a disappointing 2010?
When are they going to make the decision? How much additional time are they going to give the cortisone shot to have some type of affect?
Do you think the Phillies will resign Utley when he contract runs out after the 2014 season? He’ll be 35-years old and there’s no telling what type of shape his body will be in at that time. He’s a great player and a fan favorite but what decision will the Phillies make about him at that time.
It’s not a pressing issue right now but looking ahead I wonder what General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and the Phillies brain trust will do.
Phillies should be grooming a replacement yesterday. Utley is a very good baseball player, but even when he’s healthy his game ha holes on defense, especially with throws. Not enough arm got the outfield. He looks and plays older than his age. No more talk, please, about how hard he plays and that’s why he breaks down. He plays baseball, a non contact sport. Talk to Lou gehrig, Ty Cobb, babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, satchel Paige, who pitched in his fifties, and of course, cal Ripken
I think the supplements,additives and whatever else he was taking have taken thier toll on his body. Reminds me of another Brady Anderson, Rafeal Palmiero, etc,etc..Once they stopped taking whatever it was that they were taking, their bodies fell apart quickly as did their ability to compete on a regular basis
Looking short-term and longt-term ,I would talk to the Rangers about a Trade of RHP Blanton for IF M Young trade and then slide Polanco to 2B which is his best position and have M Young play 3B
If and when Utley is heathly, then Polanco could always play a little LF if need be, M Young could always play a little 1B to spell Howard on occasions
Whenever I hear and read about players who have multiple muscle problems tears,with obliques,hips issues and now onto the knee areas..It’s not a good sign. I think Utley could be out of baseball by 2013 so the Phils need to plan accordingly ..
The Phils can’t use this as an excuse, they have the next 30-45 days to figure out what they are going to do about it
jakedog: the phillies have pretty much neglected the infield in the draft over the past few years and now they are seeing the results as they have no replacements for Utley or Rollins. as far as his defense, give me a break. Chase has turned himself into an above average defender, he’s not a gold glove guy, but beside his one bout with throwing problems a couple years ago, his defense is not lacking at all. as for LF, he has enough arm for LF. if Ibanez has enough arm for LF then so does Chase.
paulman: do you have anything besides complete speculation as far as “the supplements, additives, and whatever else”? it seems like your insinuating that he is a steroid user, but his body type, consistent musculature throughout his career, and utter lack of evidence says otherwise. if you somehow mean over the counter and legal supplements, please show me some that negatively impact your joints. the fact of the matter is, some guys bodies break down sooner than others. some guys bodies break down in college. does that mean they are steroid users? of course not, it means genetics play a large role in the way there joints and tendons deal with repetitive stress.
His deteriorating health and his declining play over the last 2 seasons explain it to me hot97x..
wow, i don’t know that you could fail at an argument any more than you have on this one. how bout you try to disprove or argue with anything that i stated with some semblance of fact? his play has declined BECAUSE of his deteriorating health. his health is deteriorating because that’s what happens to people as they get older. do you have anything that can suggest that he was using anabolic substances other than that he’s getting older and getting injured more? has his body changed? no it hasn’t. when you use anabolic agents, you put on a noticeable amount of muscle. Utley has never changed his physique. and when you get off of anabolics, you lose alot of the muscle that you gained over time. your making yourself sound foolish (i know it happens alot), by arguing about something you have no clue about.