Philadelphia Phillies

Charlie Manuel won't have to wait much longer to have his starting eight all together again. The Phillies announced that Chase Utley will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Reading tonight. The second baseman, no stranger to the disabled list, has been out since May 21 with an oblique strain. Utley is hitting .272 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs in 44 games. If there are no setbacks, itwouldn't be a surprise if Utley were activated this weekend for the Mets series.

Per Todd Zolecki Chase Utley will begin his rehab assignment at Reading tonight. It should be a short one, and he should be back in time, barring any setbacks for the weekend series against the Mets. Which is good, since they beat the Braves twice yesterday. Also, CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! DO ME A FAVOR AND GET YOUR DOG FIXED AND TAKE HIM OUTSIDE AND THROW A DAMN FRISBEE WHILE YOU WAIT FOR ME TO COME BACK AND BASH LIKE A WORLD F'IN CHAMPIONCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY!CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY!CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEYCHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY!CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! CHASE UTLEY! SERIOUSLY ITS NICE OUTSIDE GO WASH YOUR HANDS OF THAT ORANGE HAZE AND STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER NERDS! CHASE F'IN UTLEY!

Masterful, dominant ….you name it and it was Cliff last night. Won his seventh straight game and didn’t walk a batter, the sixth time he’s picked up a win without allowing a walk. Since 2010, he’s won 10 games without issuing a walk, most wins in the majors. Once again Cliff gave a clinic in pounding the strike zone. He threw 110 pitches in eight innings. 83 were strikes. Young pitchers should take note. The Phillies didn’t hit a home run at home for the first time since May 18 but they put runs on the board using doubles, a bunt base hit, sacrifice, sacrifice fly and a pick-me-up two-out single by Fransden. The Phillies had loaded the bases in the sixth with no out but Ryan and Domonic both struck out. Kevin came through with a clutch single to left. Michael Young had three doubles, a first for him since 2006 and a first for the Phillies since Mayberry in 2011. The Big Piece’s RBI was #957, tying him with Sam Thompson for fifth place on the Phillies all-time list. Chuck Klein is fourth, 984. Minor League Report **Lehigh Valley blanked Toledo, 3-0. WP: Carlos Zambrano (1-0), 0 R, 5 H, 7 IP, 1 BB, 6 SO . . . SV: Phillippe Aumont (2), 2 H, 2 SO, 1 IP . . . 2B Cesar Hernandez, 2-4, 2 RBI, 20th steal. **Reading split a pair with Portland, 4-1 win and 3-0 loss. RH Seth Rosin (4-4) was the 1st game winner, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 7 IP. **Clearwater was pounded by Daytona, 14-8. 3B Maikel Franco, 16th HR, 3 RBI, 52 for season. Leads organization in HR, RBI. **Lakewood on 3-day All-Star Game break. **Williamsport lost, 7-3, to State College in 11 innings. 3B Zach Green was Williamsport’s offense, 2 doubles, 1st HR, 3 RBI in 5 AB.

(AP) The Phillies have announced that Chase Utley will begin a rehab assignment in Reading tonight. Utley has been out since May 20 with an oblique/rib cage injury. Before going to the DL, Utley hit .272/.339/.475 with 7 homers and 25 RBI. With Ben Revere and Michael Young hitting their stride, the addition of Utley – which could be as early as this weekend – should strengthen the top of the order, adding to it another on-base guy. It’s my own speculation he’ll be back this weekend, but you’d think with the way Carlos Ruiz was handled – playing in just two rehab games – the same will likely hold true with Utley. The Phillies finish up with the Nationals tonight and will look to sweep, but they also get the Mets this weekend, which is a winnable series.

Cliff Lee delivered again last night, throwing eight strong innings as the Phils topped the Nats 4-2. The Phils are 10-5 this year in games started by Lee and 25-32 in games started by anyone else. The Phillies scored just four runs in the game and failed to deliver in several key situations at the plate, but there seem to be some signs of life from the offense. Ben Revere is hitting .455 over his last 33 at-bats and scoring runs regularly. Michael Young’s power has evaporated over the last two years, but he has four extra-base hits in his last nine at-bats and six in his last 29. Ryan Howard is 11-for-his-last-21 with four walks and hitting 330/398/534 over his last 103 plate appearances. The Phillies are 35-37 on the year after beating the Washington Nationals 4-2 last night. They have won two in a row and four of their last six. Lee got the start for the Phillies and went eight innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Two of the hits went for extra-bases, both solo homers that accounted for the two runs that he allowed. He struck out nine and did not walk a batter. The Phillies are 8-1 in the last nine games that Lee has started. Opponents have hit .194 against him in those nine starts and he’s thrown to a 1.97 ERA with an 0.83 ratio and struck out 64 in 68 2/3 innings. Righties are hitting 199/226/306 against him for the season. Ryan Zimmerman singled with two outs in the top of the first, but Lee got Jayson Werth on a ground ball to third to end the frame. Lee set the Nats down in order in the second and again in the third. He struck out Anthony Rendon and Zimmerman for the first two outs in the fourth. Werth was next and hit the first pitch of his at-bat out to left, putting the Nats up 1-0. Adam LaRoche followed that with a single to right, but Lee got Ian Desmond to ground to short for the third out. The game was tied at 1-1 when Lee set Washington down in order in the fifth. Rendon singled to center with one out in the sixth, but Lee struck out Zimmerman for the second out and got Werth on a ground ball to third to retire the side. Up 4-1, Lee threw a 1-2-3 seventh. With one out in the eighth, righty Jeff Kobernus hit for the pitcher Craig Stammen and homered to left on a 2-1 pitch, cutting the lead to 4-2. Lee got the next two. Career home run number for the 24-year-old Kobernus. He has ten homers in the minor leagues over 1,468 plate appearances. Two in 559 plate appearances at Double-A or above. Papelbon pitched the ninth with the Phils still up by two. LaRoche singled to right with two outs, bring Desmond to the plate as the tying run. Papelbon got him on a ground ball to third to end the game. Papelbon was throwing for his second day in a row and threw ten pitches in the game. He’s been charged with a run in three of his last seven appearances. In two of the three the run came on a solo home run. Even looking at the rough recent patch for Papelbon, the home runs are the only real problem. He’s allowed six hits and a walk while striking out eight over his last seven innings. The Phillie lineup against lefty Ross Detwiler went (1) Revere (2) Michael Young (3) Rollins (4) Howard (5) Brown (6) Delmon Young (7) Frandsen (8) Ruiz. Delmon Young starts in right against the lefty with Mayberry on the bench. Frandsen starts at second for the third time in four games. Ruiz returns to the lineup, making his first start since May 19. The Phillies went in order in the first and again in the second. Ruiz singled softly to right with one out in the third, but Lee struck out swinging for the second out and Revere grounded to second. The Phils were down 1-0 when Michael Young started the bottom of the fourth with a double to center. Rollins bunted him up to third with the first out and Howard followed with a fly ball to right for the second, deep enough for Young to tag and score, tying the game at 1-1. Brown lined to LaRoche at first for the third out. Detwiler hit Delmon Young wi

Nice night from Seth Rosin – threw 69% strikes as he got the 7 inning CG. Don’t know how many strikes Hoby Milner threw, just know that a good number of his pitches wound up falling in play and resulting in runs. Not his best. Maikel Franco with HR #16. Good night from Zach Green - 2 doubles and the first homerun of the year for Williamsport. Here’s the affiliate Scoreboard from MiLB. http://www.milb.com/scoreboard/index.jsp?sid=milb&org=143&ymd=20130618

Lehigh Valley 3, Toledo 0 Carlos Zambrano - 7 IP, 5 H, BB, 6 K, 7 GB, 6 FB Cesar Hernandez - 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB Darin Ruf - 1 for 4, K Leandro Castro - 0 for 1, CS Cameron Rupp - 2 for 4 Phillippe Aumont - 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K Toledo isn't very good, but Zambrano continues to progress through the minors on his quest back to the majors. I wouldn't be too surprised if he joins the big club soon. Castro left the game early. I couldn't tell why, but he was replaced by our good friend Pete Orr. Reading 4, Portland 1 Seth Rosin - 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB, 5 K, 4 GB, 5 FB Zach Collier - 1 for 3, R, 2B, K Anthony Hewitt - 0 for 3 Sebastian Valle - 0 for 3, BB Tyson Gillies - 0 for 3, 2 K Reading isn't a very good team, but Seth Rosin had arguably his best performance of the year going the full 7 innings of the first game of a double header. Portland 3, Reading 0 Kyle Simon - 1.1 IP, BB, K Zach Collier - 1 for 2, BB, 2 SB Reading lost this game despite not giving up any earned runs...and because they didn't score. It was a bullpen game for Reading, but not much to highlight. The opposing pitcher gave up 4 hits and 5 walks, but the Fightin's couldn't capitalize. Daytona 14, Clearwater 8 Hoby Milner - 4.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 7 GB, 4 FB Aaron Altherr - 2 for 4, R, BB, K, CS Kelly Dugan - 0 for 1, 2 R, 2 BB, K Maikel Franco - 2 for 4, HR, 3 RBI Colby Shreve - 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB Pitching clearly lost this game for the Threshers, despite the efforts of their "Big 3". Franco put up another homer. State College 7, Williamsport 3 Drew Anderson - 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, IBB, 2 K, 8 GB, 2 FB Andrew Pullin - 0 for 5, 2 K Dylan Cozens - 0 for 3, R, 2 BB, 2 K Zach Green - 3 for 5, R, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K Andrew Knapp - 1 for 3, R, 2B Gabriel Lino - 3 for 4 Williamsport dropped their home opener. Recent draftee Andrew Knapp got his first professional hit, but also let up a passed ball. Gabriel Lino DH'd and was prevented from giving up any passed balls. Lehigh Valley 3, Toledo 0 Carlos Zambrano - 7 IP, 5 H, BB, 6 K, 7 GB, 6 FB Cesar Hernandez - 2 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB Darin Ruf - 1 for 4, K Leandro Castro - 0 for 1, CS Cameron Rupp - 2 for 4 Phillippe Aumont - 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K Toledo isn't very good, but Zambrano continues to progress through the minors on his quest back to the majors. I wouldn't be too surprised if he joins the big club soon. Castro left the game early. I couldn't tell why, but he was replaced by our good friend Pete Orr. Reading 4, Portland 1 Seth Rosin - 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB, 5 K, 4 GB, 5 FB Zach Collier - 1 for 3, R, 2B, K Anthony Hewitt - 0 for 3 Sebastian Valle - 0 for 3, BB Tyson Gillies - 0 for 3, 2 K Reading isn't a very good team, but Seth Rosin had arguably his best performance of the year going the full 7 innings of the first game of a double header. Portland 3, Reading 0 Kyle Simon - 1.1 IP, BB, K Zach Collier - 1 for 2, BB, 2 SB Reading lost this game despite not giving up any earned runs...and because they didn't score. It was a bullpen game for Reading, but not much to highlight. The opposing pitcher gave up 4 hits and 5 walks, but the Fightin's couldn't capitalize. Daytona 14, Clearwater 8 Hoby Milner - 4.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 7 GB, 4 FB Aaron Altherr - 2 for 4, R, BB, K, CS Kelly Dugan - 0 for 1, 2 R, 2 BB, K Maikel Franco - 2 for 4, HR, 3 RBI Colby Shreve - 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, BB Pitching clearly lost this game for the Threshers, despite the efforts of their "Big 3". Franco put up another homer. State College 7, Williamsport 3 Drew Anderson - 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, IBB, 2 K, 8 GB, 2 FB Andrew Pullin - 0 for 5, 2 K Dylan Cozens - 0 for 3, R, 2 BB, 2 K Zach Green - 3 for 5, R, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI, K Andrew Knapp - 1 for 3, R, 2B Gabriel Lino - 3 for 4 Williamsport dropped their home opener. Recent draftee Andrew Knapp got his first professional hit, but also let up a passed ball. Gabriel Lino DH'd and was pr

Kyle Kendrick isn’t all that remarkable. The Philadelphia Phillies right-hander has a standard pitcher’s frame and fairly average stuff. Neither his velocity nor his repertoire particularly stands out. His numbers — 178 career appearances; 137 of them starts — don‘t jump out at you. But that doesn’t mean the 28-year-old isn’t an effective pitcher. Relying [...] Read more Kyle Kendrick news

When Jayson Werth left Philadelphia after the 2010 season and signed a seven-year, $126 million dollar contract with the Washington Nationals, the right fielder has been booed lustily before every at-bat at Citizens Bank Park by the Phillies faithful. Fans remember a player often aloof, difficult to understand, and driven enough to seek the contract of a lifetime outside the City of Brotherly Love. It’s not uncommon for a former player to be booed, especially one that was divisive among fans and not the most likable guy upon first notice. Werth, though, was the product and epitome of an era of Phillies baseball that has passed us by. Former GM Pat Gillick plucked Werth from the bargain bin after a perplexing wrist injury put his career on the line. Through a stroke of luck, Werth was referred to the Mayo Clinic and his wrist was quickly as good as new. With the Phillies, Werth initially shared playing time with Geoff Jenkins, but it became difficult to ignore his renewed five-tool approach. By 2008, Werth was the everyday right fielder. Everything Werth was is everything that more recent Phillies have not been. Werth worked counts better than almost anyone else in baseball. He walked in 13 percent of his plate appearances as a Phillie between 2007-10. Only 25 players in baseball drew walks at a higher rate in that period of time, only 13 of them in the National League. Werth ran the bases with amazing dexterity for someone listed at 6’5″, 225. He stole 60 bases in 68 attempts (88%) as a Phillie, the 22nd-highest total in the time period among National Leaguers, and the fifth-highest success rate among those players with at least 55 successful stolen bases. Baseball Prospectus had him among the top-30 base runners in all of baseball in 2008 (28) and 2009 (11), looking at all avenues of base running, including advancing on ground and fly ball outs, as well as hits. In right field, Werth was among the best if you buy 4,263 defensive innings’ worth of Ultimate Zone Rating data. Among single seasons, his last (2010) was his only subpar defensive showing with the Phillies. Not only did he showcase a fair amount of range, he was consistently one of baseball’s most feared arms. Werth accrued 37 outfield assists as a Phillie, the seventh most among all outfielders from 2007-10. Werth posted 15.8 Wins Above Replacement as a Phillie, according to Baseball Reference. (FanGraphs lists him at 17.7.) Because Werth was plucked from the bargain bin by Gillick, he did all this for a total of $12.55 million. The Phillies rightfully chose not to retain his services when he, rightfully, went in search of a multi-year contract in excess of $100 million. In the time since, the Phillies have abandoned the practices that led them to players like Werth (and Shane Victorino). Rather than attempt to catch lightning in a bottle with toolsy players, the Phillies have gone after over-the-hill veterans like Michael Young and one-dimensional players like Delmon Young. They left barren an entire Minor League system in the expensive pursuit of Hunter Pence. Going down the list of players brought on board by the Phillies since 2011, not a single one of them brought to the table even two of the multitude of qualities Werth brought. Though the Phillies can thank their lucky stars they are not on the hook to the tune of $126 million over seven years for Werth’s services, they should continue to search tirelessly for the next Werth. And though Phillies fans may feel disparaged by how quickly Werth chose to take the next flight out of Philly, he represents everything that was right about what was arguably the greatest era of Phillies baseball.