Utley on his health right now following the cortisone shot:
“I got a little bit of relief from it, not as much as I was anticipating. So on that front, nothing has changed a whole lot. I’m still taking batting practice, still playing catch, trying to take it easy on my legs right now, and go from there.”
On what he knows about the ailment:
“It’s something that Im trying to educate myself more and more on, trying to get as many opinions as possible on how to treat it. There’s no black and white here, it’s something that you have to deal with, and obviously it’s a little frustrating right now. But, we have to look at the big picture and try get this resolved, obviously, quickly, but also be in good spirits for the long run.”
If surgery is a last option:
“I think that’s a last resort at this point, but I think we’re going to exhaust every avenues prior to that, and continue to see how it goes and monitor it on a day-to-day basis…”
“My goal is to alleviate this as quickly as possible but still keep in mind that I still have a career ahead of me.”
On how he plays and if he can change:
“I’ve played this game for a little while and I feel like I play it the right way, and I don’t know any other way to play.”
If he would be able to play if the season started right now:
“I think everyone that knows me best knows the only place I’d rather be in on the field. It is disappointing, but it’s probably not in my best interest to be out there.”
OPINION: After trainer Scott Sheridan and GM Ruben Amaro told us that Utley has not been administered a cortisone shot to their knowledge. Utley himself said he’s had them in the past, but would not elaborate further.
Does this mean that perhaps Utley’s knee is damaged and that he’s played on it hurt for quite a while? A cortisone shot would help mask the pain, but obviously does not help heal it. Could we be seeing the lingering effects of several cortisone shots to a worn down knee?
I’d say with that small sliver of news, we could be looking at a surgical procedure in the near future. That, of course, has not been said by the team as they continue to be relatively tight-lipped.
