Phils Notes: Utley encouraged by progress

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CHICAGO -- Hes getting closer.
An optimistic Chase Utley met the media Thursday night before the Phillies game with the Cubs at Wrigley and said hes encouraged by his progress as he rehabs chronic knee pain.
Utley fielded groundballs both Wednesday and Thursday, the first time hes done that since leaving spring training two months ago with pain in both knees. Because of the lateral movement that taking grounders requires, its seen as a major sign of progress that Utley was able to do it without experiencing discomfort.
Ground balls went pretty well, Utley said. I ran a little bit earlier Thursday, which was nice. It was good to wake up feeling pretty good. That's a good sign.
It was just good to be out there taking ground balls with the guys. I forgot how much fun it is to take ground balls.
Utley, 33, hit .259 last year with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs, all career lows since he became a regular in 2004, and the lack of production has been tied to his nagging knee injuries.
Utley said Thursday hes determined not to rush things. At some point, hell head down to Clearwater to play in some games and the plan is to eventually return to the Phillies and make his 2012 debut.
But theres no rush.
One thing is, you dont want to overdo it, Utley said. Today, I'll take some ground balls. Friday, maybe I'll slow it down a little and pick it up again. It's all going to depend on how I'm feeling. Right now I'm feeling pretty good.
I'm trying to get to a point where when we start going for it, I feel pretty comfortable. I've realized over the course of this time that the more I push it and feel uncomfortable, the worse it can get. We try to make small progressions. Taking ground balls Wednesday was a good sign.
I felt pretty good today. Theres a little discomfort, but thats a part of the whole process. Last year when I started taking ground balls, it was a little uncomfortable as well, but the more I did it, the better I became at it.Utley said hes come to terms with the fact that hell never be 100 percent again. Its just a matter of managing the pain and being smart.
Ideally, it would be great to be pain free, he said. But over the past year or so I know the pain threshold I can play at. And right now Im in the good zone.
Manager Charlie Manuel kept his eye on Utley much of the time as he took grounders.
Its encouraging, Manuel said. It shows hes feeling better. Hes moving around.I think hes getting closer.
Utley also said he was almost all-out running strides before the game. Another encouraging sign.
Thats a progression to work toward, he said. I was doing some long striders, pushing the pace a little bit. Not quite 100 percent but close to it.
So the million-dollar questions is when will Utley play again?
I wish I could tell you, he said. Obviously, the better I feel, the shorter it will take. But its still going to take a little time to get to game speed, obviously.
Polanco may not be availableTy Wigginton gets the start at third Thursday night as Placido Polanco rests with leg soreness after fouling a bunch of balls off his leg over the past week.
Asked pre-game if he was feeling better than Wednesday night, when he was very sore, Polanco said, Yeah, a little bit. Its still sore.
Asked if he would be available to pinch-hit, he said, Probably pinch-hit, but I dont know about movement though. Its still sore.
Halladay looking for elusive winRoy Halladay makes his ninth start of the year Thursday night against the Cubs and his sixth start since his last win, against the Giants in San Francisco back on April 16.
Halladay is 0-3 with two no-decisions in his last five starts. Although he allowed eight runs in 5 13 in Atlanta three starts ago, hes been good in the other four starts, giving up nine earned runs in 28 innings.
I never thought anything like that could happen, Manuel said. Always thought that every time hes going to get the ball, hes going to keep you in the game and youre going to have a great chance of winning the game.
I think he had one game that kind of got out of hand, but thats going to happen. Thats the way it goes sometimes, and its hard to explain.
Phillies lineupSSJimmy RollinsLFJuan PierreCFShane VictorinoRFHunter PenceCCarlos Ruiz3BTy Wigginton1BHector Luna2BFreddy GalvisPRoy Halladay
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com.

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