Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. confirmed Thursday that Chase Utley (knee) will begin the season on the disabled list.
Not a surprise. Amaro finally admitted the obvious Thursday, acknowledging that Utley hasn't seen the field yet and that the start of the season is only a week away. Replacing his production in the lineup is an impossible task, especially when we're talking about names like Wilson Valdez, Luis Castillo, Josh Barfield and Michael Martinez. Utley is taking batting practice on a regular basis, but there's still no timetable for his return.
The Phillies have some things to worry about despite their amazing rotation. The Phillies are replacing Werth and Utley with Castillo and Ben Francisco. Not exactly filling the void are they? This also puts less protection behind Howard who really can't carry a team anyway. Plus Polanco has elbow problems that could linger for some time. Rollins has had trouble staying healthy as well. I guess all I'm saying is that the Phillies are no lock for a playoff spot.