PITTSBURGH — Phillies star second baseman Chase Utley will be out at least eight weeks after having surgery on his injured right thumb, a major setback for the two-time defending NL champions.
Utley isn’t expected to return until the September stretch drive, or longer than the Phillies had hoped.
“Yeah, this hurts,” Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said before the Phillies’ 3-2 loss to the Pirates last night.
The operation was performed yesterday in New York, three days after one of the majors’ best all-around infielders was injured trying to stretch a single into a double.