It appears Chase Utley's days of getting hit by pitches are almost finished.
Utley is scheduled to hold a news conference at Dodger Stadium on Friday, and multiple reports say the 39-year-old second baseman plans to announce he will retire at the end of the season.
The announcement would be well-timed, coming 10 days before the Dodgers visit Philadelphia for what now figures to be a three-day celebration of a Phillies great.
A six-time All-Star, Utley was at his peak from 2005-10 as a core member of the Phillies team that reached back-to-back World Series, winning the title in 2008. He has been to the playoffs eight times in his 16-year career.
From the 10-season span across 2005-14, Utley ranked as the 2nd-best position player in the game behind Pujols, per @baseball_ref pic.twitter.com/m4DQPcz277
— Justin Havens (@jayhaykid) July 13, 2018
While injuries eventually cut into his playing time and diminished his effectiveness, Utley has been a key clubhouse presence for the Dodgers since arriving in an August waiver deal in 2015.
Thursday night's game was emblematic of his contributions, as Utley was hit by a pitch for the 201st time in his career — the most among active players and eighth-most all-time — to load the bases and help spark a three-run inning for the Dodgers in a win over the Padres.
