Utley close to rehab assignment?

The Philadelphia Phillies are batting Jimmy Rollins in the leadoff spot tonight against the Washington Nationals, mainly because his production as the No. 3 hitter has been poor when it comes to driving in runs. They have a great No. 3 on the roster, but he’s been pretty useless since he’s been hurt all year.

Of course, I’m talking about Chase Utley. His bum knee has limited him to mostly fielding practice all year. But, he’s been running a bit more lately and it looks like he could be close to starting a rehab assignment.

“It might be time to let him go somewhere, like Clearwater or something,” manager Charlie Manuel said, referring to their spring training site.

The Phils desperately need Utley to return to the lineup healthy. Having him hit No. 3 in front of Ryan Howard would be huge because Rollins is probably better suited to the five slot. Ben Francisco hasn’t been awful, but he’s not good enough to be hitting that high all year.