Yesterday I posed a question about Chase Utley and his health.  Today, the Phillies finally spilled the beans and admitted that Utley has tendinitis in his right knee.  An MRI revealed the issue which requires rest in order to heal.

While Utley has agreed to take things slow, the injury is still worrisome.  According to the Mayo Clinic, knee tendinitis can involve a grocery list of complications including weakened  leg muscles due to overcompensation, tendon tears and chronic pain.  The recovery time is anywhere from weeks to months.

In my own personal experience, tendinitis can be chronic and linger for years.  Utley has already stated that this is a condition he has dealt with in the past, so it appears to be an ongoing issue.  How much it will hamper his future performance remains to be seen.  But for now, it is not good news.

On to another sore subject, Jayson Werth made a very bad error in judgment this week when he trash-talked his former team.  The Washington Post reported that Werth stated, “I hate the Phillies, too,” during a conversation with his new GM, Mike Rizzo.

Rizzo said, “I hate the [expletive] Phillies.” The GM then listed what he termed “dirty plays” by the Phillies, prompting the “I hate the Phillies, too,” remark from Werth.

I wonder which parts he hated.  Could it be his 2008 World Series ring?  Or maybe it was all the attention from fans who routinely professed their admiration of him?  No, I’ll bet it was that the Phillies signed him when every other team in baseball assumed he was a washed-up, injury prone discard.

Then again, Werth is a National now.  And I suppose all Nationals hate Philly for winning four straight division titles while they have done nothing but suck since moving to DC in 2005.  Sounds like sour grapes from an underperforming club that has to beg fans of opponents to come to their ballpark just to sell tickets.

In another interview about Phillies fans outnumbering Nats fans in DC, Werth also said, “The reason why those people come over here is they don’t have a chance to watch their team in Philadelphia and as soon as we fill the seats with Nats fans those people are going to go away and we are going to regain homefield advantage and I am looking forward to that day too.”

News flash Werth – We see our team in Philly all the time.  The reason most of us go to DC is because Nats tickets are super easy to get.  And we do not mind the drive because we love and support our team, unlike most Nats fans who cannot be bothered to show up.

I will be honest; Werth has never been a favorite of mine.  I have seen him treat fans badly and even watched him make rude, ignorant comments to small children who were politely asking for an autograph during a previous spring training.  So frankly, the “hate” comment does not shock me.

But if Werth thinks his $126 million paycheck is going to fill seats in DC, he is in for a rude awakening.  And if he is expecting a Pat Burrell-like greeting upon his return to Philadelphia, I am not sure that “rude awakening” would even begin to cover what Philly has in store for him.

 

Photo by Jenn Zambri Photography

*Read more about the Phillies at my other home page, Phightin’ Phils Phorum in the My Team Rivals network*