Some things never grow old. Not only did the Dodgers bring back 37-year-old Chase Utley this offseason after an ugly end to his playoff run that jeopardized Ruben Tejada‘s career and forced the MLB to institute a new rule (to the ire of managers across the league), but they installed him in the leadoff spot on what is supposed to be one of the best lineups in baseball.
Utley for his part has taken to the new but familiar role of hitting near the top of the lineup, and has gotten off to a great start at the plate. After a season that saw him post the lowest numbers in his career basically across the board, Utley has reinvented himself as a high-OBP, low-SLG leadoff guy that will have a ton of chances to score runs. His current slash line of .288/.380/.413 looks similar to a Dee Gordon line, if not slightly improved.
While Utley is never going to get back to the 30+ home run guy he was at one point in his career, he seems like he’s done enough to stay relevant in this league, and should post solid numbers in four categories. He won’t give you any of the lost stolen bases, but might give you a bump in OBP and will get a ton of chances to score or knock in runs.
The question with him is always if he can stay healthy. But since right now you’re only scrambling to find someone for the next 80 games, perhaps Utley is the perfect replacement. By the time he hits his mid-season injury, Gordon will be ready to return. After all, he has played in over 100 games in three straight seasons, including a really solid 155-game campaign in 2014.
Hopefully he’s learned his lesson sliding into second base, and we won’t see any other suspensions in the future. That’s the last word Gordon owners want to hear at this point.
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