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Utley set for season debut in Phils' opener with Reds

May 23, 2011 - 3:00 PM (Sports Network) - He won't be riding into Citizens Bank Park on a white horse to save the offensively-challenged Philadelphia Phillies, but the return of All-Star second baseman Chase Utley should give the club a major boost.

Utley is expected to be activated from the disabled list prior to tonight's opener of a four-game series against the NL Central-powerhouse Cincinnati Reds in south Philadelphia. Utley has been out since the spring while recovering from patellar tendinitis in his right knee and will bat third in a Phillies lineup that ranks 23rd in runs scored (176) and 19th in average (.245).

The Phillies have not scored more than three runs in a game since a 5-4 win over Atlanta on May 13, and can't expect too much from Utley in his first game of the season. Team physicians feel Utley's knee is strong enough to return to the majors after nine rehab games with Class A Clearwater. He has been just one casualty of many for a Phillies ballclub that is already without center fielder Shane Victorino (hamstring) and is slated to place starting pitcher Joe Blanton back on the shelf because of right elbow inflammation.

"Once we get Chase and Victorino back, our lineup is going to be much better," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said on the team's website. "If you put [Josh] Hamilton and [Nelson] Cruz back in Texas' lineup, they get real better, too. So we'll get better."

While the Rangers are expected to get their two stars back soon, Utley was back with his big league club in Sunday's 2-0 loss to Texas that ruined any plans of a three-game interleague sweep of the defending American League champions. Roy Oswalt, who made a stint on the DL with back issues, was saddled with the loss for allowing a run and eight hits in seven innings. Oswalt had his hands tied by an offense that produced only five hits, one of which was from slugging first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard is batting .074 in his last eight games, going 2-for-27 in that time.

Philadelphia lost for the sixth time in nine tries and is 3-2 on a nine-game homestand. In order to make room for Utley on the roster, the Phillies cleared some space by sending infielder Pete Orr to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Right- hander Vance Worley will be recalled from the Iron Pigs when Blanton is placed on the DL, while closer Brad Lidge (shoulder) and catcher Brian Schneider (hamstring) are still sidelined with injuries. Ryan Madson has taken over the closer's role and may have won that job, but is bothered by a sore hand.

Relief pitcher Jose Contreras is scheduled to pitch for the Iron Pigs on Monday and is recovering from a strained right flexor pronator tendon.

Cole Hamels has been one of the few bright and healthy spots for the Phils this season and draws the pitching assignment tonight against the Reds, a team he has owned throughout his career as evidenced by a 6-0 record and a sparkling 1.07 earned run average in seven starts. He has two complete games and a shutout in this series.

Hamels aims for his sixth win of the season and is coming off last Wednesday's 2-1 win over Colorado. He threw eight innings of one-run ball and struck out eight to push his mark to 5-2 in nine starts with a 2.92 ERA. The 2008 World Series MVP has lasted at least six innings in his last eight trips to the mound and has walked only one batter in each of his five previous outings.

Cincinnati has lost five in a row since a five-game winning streak and lost all three matchups in Cleveland to kick off a 10-game road trip. The Indians completed the sweep with Sunday's 12-4 bashing of the Reds, who got home runs from reigning NL MVP Joey Votto and Jay Bruce.

Edinson Volquez was hammered for the loss, allowing seven runs -- six earned -- and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings with four walks and three strikeouts.

"I think everybody has to step up and start getting some runs," Volquez said on the team's site. "The last five games, we've scored how many runs? Thirteen [actually 12] in five games? It's not the way we were playing last year. We're better than that."

The Reds are still second in the majors with 237 runs and fifth with a .263 batting average. They will also visit Atlanta on this trek and will hand the ball to struggling right-hander Bronson Arroyo tonight. Arroyo is 1-4 with a 4.70 ERA in his last seven starts with the club going 2-5 in that stretch. He was last in action in Wednesday's 5-0 loss versus Pittsburgh and yielded all five runs on seven hits and two walks in seven innings.

Arroyo opened the season with three wins in his first five starts, but is now 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA in nine outings. The right-hander has faced Philadelphia eight times (7 starts) in his career, recording just a 1-5 mark and a 5.54 ERA.

Philadelphia won five of seven matchups with Cincinnati in the regular season a year ago and swept the Reds in three games during the NLDS. Hamels went the distance in Game 3 and allowed five hits with nine K's in a 2-0 win.