On the same night the Los Angeles Dodgers tied a Major League record for most players (27) put on the disabled list in a single season, manager Dave Roberts revealed Chase Utley is battling a nagging injury.
“He’s been maintenancing his (left) foot for about a month,” Roberts said after his club’s emphatic 9-5 win over Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants. “That’s why we had to get him out of the game. He couldn’t stay on his feet any longer. Chase will be day to day.”
With a left-hander on the mound, Roberts stacked his lineup with right-handed batters, which put Charlie Culberson, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, at second base.
Once Bumgarner was out of the game, Utley pinch-hit for Culberson in the bottom of the sixth and flipped a leadoff single into right field.
He then scored, rather easily, from first base on Andrew Toles’ pinch-hit RBI double to the right-center field gap.
Utley remained in the game at second base in the seventh inning, but was removed in the eighth.
While the veteran infielder cooled after a blistering start to the season, Utley has been instrumental to the Dodgers’ success this season.
The 37-year-old essentially took the starting job at second base from Howie Kendrick, and gave the Dodgers a viable leadoff hitter. Utley’s on-base percentage declined in June and July, but he’s rebounded and sports a .799 on-base plus slugging in August.
Overall this season, Utley is batting .262/.333/.402 with 20 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 41 RBI and 66 runs scored in 107 games. Utley, who re-signed with the Dodgers during the offseason on a one-year, $7 million contract, recently said he intends to continue playing beyond 2016.
Considering the Dodgers are slated to face a right-hander in Johnny Cueto on Wednesday night, Utley typically would be in the lineup.
