Update: Manager Charlie Manuel said Utley emailed him to say he would be ready for upcoming season, the Philadelphia Daily News reports. "He emailed me at Christmas and said, 'You’re going to have a healthy second baseman,'” Manuel said. "Knowing him, that’s means a whole lot."
Recommendation: Utley has always been reluctant to divulge much information about his progress in dealing with his degenerative knee condition, so it is a good sign that he expressed some confidence in his health. Of course, we won't know if Utley is truly ready until we see him play in games this spring. He has missed the last two spring trainings because of his knee problems.
