Philadelphia Phillies Chase Utley Loses Starting Spot
Philadelphia Phillies Chase Utley has lost his starting spot after a dismal start to the season.
Utley, who is now on the DL (disabled list) due to a right ankle injury, was hitting .179/.257/.275 in the first 65 games of the season. The 36-year-old second baseman is now one month away from activated and according to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., Utley will be the secondary option.
"Cesar Hernandez is our best second baseman," Amaro said reported by Ryan Lawrence with the Philadelphia Daily News.
When asked if they will have to tell Utley that he will play behind Hernandez, Amaro replied, "I don't know if it has to be. Chase's situation will kind of dictate itself, how he feels. There'll be time for him to play, I think. He could play some first base. He could play some second... But as far as I'm concerned, just like what our plan has been for a long, long time, and that's to give opportunities to young men who could be part of our future. Cesar Hernandez has been one of our best players on the field right now in a variety of ways - running the bases, playing defense, playing with energy. He can switch-hit. He can run. He's doing a lot of the things that we want to see out of our young players."
Hernandez, 25, is hitting .301/.386/.383 overall. In the 16 games he played as the Phillies' regular season second baseman, he hit .426/.487/.500.
Although Amaro's comments about one of the Phillies' best players might have been too harsh, Utley did not let it get to him. When asked how he felt about Amaro's statements, Utley said, "Well, I think Cesar has done a really good job - there you go."
In his career, Utley is a .281 hitter. He has recorded a total of 232 homeruns and 911 RBIs. He is a six-time All-Star and has been voted in the top 10 for the MVP Award three times.
