Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. started his week off by giving out some bad news. On the upside, many people around the Phillies thought that news was going to be coming at some point, anyway.
Amaro met with reporters and announced that Utley's rehab for a sore right knee had hit a "plateau" and that there didn't seem to be much more the Phillies could do to get him past that point in his rehab. With that being the case, Utley has left camp to meet with a specialist regarding the soreness that he has felt in the knee all spring long.
"He has made some strides, but not enough to take the field," explained Amaro. "He has headed out of town for a few days to be evaluated by a specialist who has helped athletes overcome his issue."
Not much is really known about Utley's physical problem, but the Phillies have generally just referred to it as a sore knee. Utley missed the start of last season due to knee issues and it's now looking more likely that he will miss the start of the 2012 season.
Amaro didn't give any timetable for Utley's return to camp or disclose what specialist he would be seeing.