Chase Utley

Chase Utley's Bum Knee

In spite of the positive spin the Philadelphia Phillies and Chase Utley are putting on his pained knee, he has been diagnosed with patella tendinitis, chondromalacia and bone inflammation, and is now heading to see a rehab specialist because the team is afraid to have his knee cut open—and rightly so. 

Well, it looks like it may be a reality: Luis Castillo is reported close to signing a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Quite frankly, I am not sure how I feel about this. One would assume that there are some pros and some cons so let's take a look at some of them

Every baseball season, there are injuries around the league.  Some are so bad that a few can never rebound and make the same impact as they did before—i.e. Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets, who has now been forced to change positions due to injury.

Depending on the situation, whether it's Tommy John surgery, a shoulder operation, elbow tendinitis or a broken foot, baseball is a very tough sport to recover in.  This can be due to the fact that "Americas pastime," puts a high demand on muscles that aren't used in everyday life. 

The Phillies come into this year as preseason favorites to reach their third World Series in the last four years, and with good reason.

Going into spring training this year, the one team that fans picked to make the World Series (at least out of the National League) was the Philadelphia Phillies. 

In what can only be called a Cinderella story, the team landed prize pitcher Cliff Lee as they beat out the two favorites in the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees. Combined with their strong lineup, the Phillies were expected to be the top team in the National League and easily make it to the Fall Classic.

We still don’t know exactly what the situation is with Chase Utley.  It appears that he could miss some time, though how much is anyone’s guess. 

Will it be a week?  Will it be a month? 

Even if he is somehow able to be ready to start on Opening Day, at this point we all know that this is a potentially chronic knee problem.  Who’s to say that it doesn’t creep up in May or June or, even worse, September when your fantasy title is on the line?

The Philadelphia Phillies have proved to be the class of the National League in recent years.  Their successes have included two World Series appearances (one title) and four straight NL East crowns.  As of late, they've done everything possible to keep the proverbial "window" open for as long as possible.  With winning comes more money; money that the Phillies have spent more and more freely.

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Here’s an updated and expanded look at the 2011 second basemen rankings:

Hot on the heels of the Cliff Lee acquisition, the Philadelphia Phillies entered spring training as favorites to reclaim the National League crown. With Lee joining Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, and Joe Blanton, the Phillies should have the rotation locked down.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, the team isn't without questions as it prepares for the regular season. Turnover in the bullpen, spring training injuries, and the loss of key players and coaches during the off-season has left the team with several potential headaches to sort out.

About a month ago, an enormous percentage of the Philadelphia Phillies faithful were making bold proclamations about World Series appearances and World Series wins.

With the semblance of an amazing starting pitching staff, there was not much reason to think anyone was being completely unrealistic. 

Optimistic?  Perhaps. 

Completely unrealistic?  No.