CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – Second baseman Chase Utley will not play in the Philadelphia Phillies’ Grapefruit League opener Tuesday, and he says he isn’t likely to see game action this week while coming back from a right ankle injury.
The 36-year-old Utley has participated in hitting and fielding practice during the Phillies’ first week of full-squad workouts, but has not gone through any base-running drills. He sprained his ankle in January while doing infield work in January, before arriving in Clearwater.
”I’m not quite there to 100 percent yet,” Utley said Monday morning. ”There’s no sense in overdoing it and screwing something else up, especially when we have a month until the season starts.”
Manager Ryne Sandberg said on Sunday that he wants to ”ease him” into games in the coming weeks. Utley said he likely wouldn’t play through Friday’s games.
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