Freddy Galvis

Phillies placed second baseman Chase Utley on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 21, with a mild oblique strain. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro is hopeful that Utley will be ready when his two weeks are up, but it's possible he could be out as long as four weeks...

PHILADELPHIA—Two weeks ago to the day, the Phillies performance hit its basement level. Tonight, in a 6-2 win at Citizens Bank Park, it scraped its ceiling. The opponent, the Cleveland Indians, was the same. The difference was everything else...

PHILADELPHIA—If only it was only Chase Utley’s absence. But his replacement at second base for the Phillies tonight, Freddy Galvis, wasn’t responsible for any of fielding gaffes that cost them, and if anything bailed them out. And Utley himself has stumbled as much against lefties this year as the rest of the lineup did tonight against Pittsburgh Pirates southpaw starter Jeff Locke...

With Dominic Brown gaining most of the attention this spring with his offensive output, it's gotten lost that Freddy Galvis is hitting .284 (21-for-74), with three home runs, two triples and seven doubles this spring. The 23-year-old, who played regularly last year due to injured second baseman Chase Utley, is currently looking to find a position on this team...

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro said he's "cautiously optimistic" Chase Utley will return as a full-time player in 2013 - so are Phillies fans. The past two seasons, Utley has missed significant time with knees issues and hasn't participated in a spring training in two years...

With word that the Phillies have invited nine players with minor league contracts to spring training in Clearwater comes plenty of familiar names -- and production. You know the bunch: Michael Martinez, Pete Orr, and Steven Lerud. One newcomer, though, should be a source of mild optimism...

That Carlos Ruiz will miss the first 25 games of 2013 isn't what's most troubling about the announcement Tuesday that he was suspended for using amphetamines. Of those, 16 will be against non-2012 playoff qualifiers. Erik Kratz, the fastest catcher ever to hit eight home runs, is a more than capable spell for the meantime...

In spring training, the Phillies lack of depth was laughable. Really. Legitimate punch line. But if you look around, this club seems an awful lot like one with options. Behind the plate, they've got Carlos Ruiz and Erik Kratz, maybe Brian Schneider...

Here's what we know about Freddy Galvis: (1) Galvis was tagged Tuesday with a 50-game ban, the usual for first-time violators of the MLB substance-abuse policy. (PDF here.)

AUDIO (CSN Philly): Ruben Amaro speaks! Carly Rae Jepsen beckons! (Really. Listen close.) Amaro backed Freddy Galvis, but with the "I'm The Deflated Disappointed Father" endorsement, saying , but that he "supports the kid" -- and MLB's drug testing program... Read More ...