The old adage is you can't lose a starting spot because of an injury.
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro is so impressed with stand-in second baseman Cesar Hernandez, he's saying Chase Utley should be on the bench when he returns from the disabled list.
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"Not for me he's not" a starter, Amaro said when asked if Utley would still be the everyday second baseman when he returns, via Philly.com. "Cesar Hernandez is our best second baseman."
Utley said little in response.
“Well, I think Cesar has done a really good job," Utley told reporters before Tuesday's game in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. "There you go.”
Since Utley’s last start at second base June 20, Hernandez is hitting .438/.493/.516 with nine stolen bases in as many attempts. That pace seems impossible to keep up for the 25-year-old, but Hernandez has clearly impressed Philadelphia's higher-ups.
Utley, 36, was hitting .179/.257/.275 with four home runs and 25 RBI in 249 plate appearances before landing on the DL on June 24 with inflammation in his right ankle. He still has no timetable for a return.