Philadelphia Phillies: Chase Utley Will Return, but What Happens Until Then?
March 26, 2012 by Zak Schmoll
Filed under Fan News
Chase Utley is such a competitive player that his injury must be extraordinarily disappointing to him. However, he is anticipating a return this season according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN which must be a welcome message to all Phillies fans. While most people pretty much assumed that, it is still nice to hear from him.
However, what is going to happen up until then? How much different are the Phillies going to look?
There’ll be some major differences in a lineup that has grown accustomed to seeing Utley hitting third and run-producing first baseman Ryan Howard in the cleanup spot. The Ryan Howard spot has already been somewhat filled through the acquisition of Jim Thome, but there is a little more debate around how second base will be handled.
Freddy Galvis is certainly an interesting option. He split his time between AA and AAA last season with a pretty decent level of success. Combined, he hit .278 with eight home runs, 43 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. He is definitely a different player than Chase Utley, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is wrong or a bad fit. They could trade for another second baseman, but it seems as if Galvis has the job.
Of course, what will that mean for the Phillies lineup? Could Hunter Pence hit third in the lineup?
That is definitely possible, but they also could hit Shane Victorino third and Pence fourth. That way, the lineup could be Rollins at his traditional leadoff position with Polanco second followed by Victorino and Pence.
While it doesn’t quite look the same as Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, there is still quite a bit of talent there. The team should still be able to get on base and produce runs. With the pitching staff they have, they really won’t need that many to begin with, but it seems like they should be able to get their share.
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