The return of five-time All-Star second baseman Chase Utley(notes) from the disabled list is a much-considered subject in the minds of Philadelphia Phillies fans, especially since backups Wilson Valdez and Pete Orr are batting .235 and .265 respectively.
That return got another step closer Sunday when Utley played in what the Philadelphia Inquirer is calling a "semi-simulated game." Utley took at-bats against pitching coach Rich Dubee, ran the bases, and took grounders out in the field for "about three innings" worth of work, the paper reports.
"This is a good sign," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said, according to the Inquirer, which also reports that Utley will "play" another simulated game Tuesday if he is not too sore and banged-up from Sunday's big outing.
