Utley was let go by Los Angeles to set in motion his impending retirement.
Utley announced before the season ended that he'd be walking away from the game following the conclusion of the 2018 campaign, so the Dodgers issued his release to facilitate his official retirement. He spent the majority of his career with the Phillies and finishes with a .275/.358/.465 slash line over 1,937 games.
Utley (wrist) was activated from the 10-day disabled list Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.
The veteran infielder rejoins the active roster on the league-wide expansion day. Utley owns a .240/.321/.342 line in 69 big-league games and will serve as utility depth down the stretch.
Utley was placed on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with left wrist inflammation, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Utley will hit the shelf to make room on the 25-man roster for the return of Justin Turner from the disabled list. It's unclear if Utley's injury is overly serious, but more information on his status should emerge as he nears a return to action.
Utley will retire at the end of the 2018 season, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Utley is under contract for next season, but there was suspicion back when the contract was signed that 2018 might be his last year. The 39-year-old is still a competent bench player, but nothing more than that, having produced a below-average batting line for four straight seasons. He'll call it quits on an excellent career, one which includes six All-Star selections, a World Series (2008) and three National League pennants (2008, 2009, 2017). Over a 10-year stretch from 2005 to 2014, he was the second-best position player in baseball (behind only Albert Pujols) by both fWAR and bWAR. His 259 home runs rank seventh all-time among second basemen.
Utley (thumb) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list prior to Friday's game.
As expected, Utley will return to the fold after missing the past three weeks with a sprained left thumb. He is not listed in the Dodgers' starting lineup against the Mets on Friday but all indications point to him being available off the bench.
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Dodgers' Chase Utley: Set for Friday return
Rotowire
Utley (thumb) will return Friday against the Mets, Alanna Rizzo of SportsNet LA reports.
Utley has been out all month with a sprained left thumb. Prior to the injury, the veteran was hitting just .216/.302/.324 with a homer and a pair of steals in 45 games. He'll likely return to a bench role when healthy.
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Dodgers' Chase Utley: Likely to return during road trip
Rotowire
Manager Dave Roberts said that Utley (thumb) would travel with the Dodgers ahead of Monday's series opener against the Cubs and could return from the disabled list at some point during the club's six-game road trip this week, Kaelen Jones of MLB.com reports.
Roberts noted that Utley looked "really good" while taking several at-bats in a simulated game Friday, so the 39-year-old should rejoin the Dodgers in short order without requiring a minor-league assignment. Utley will likely return to the active roster during the three-game series with Chicago and step in as the primary backup to Logan Forsythe at second base.
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Dodgers' Chase Utley: Takes batting practice Wednesday
Rotowire
Utley (thumb) took batting practice prior to Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic Los Angeles reports.
Utley has been on the disabled list since May 30 with a left thumb sprain. While this is an encouraging step for the veteran infielder, he remains without a timetable for his possible return.
