Tuesday's bad news -- Chase Utley being put on the 15-day DL with a sprained thumb -- has turned into Thursday's worse news. The second baseman is going to need surgery on that injured thumb, and will be out "five or six weeks," this according to Peter Gammons (via his Twitter).
Utley was scheduled to visit with hand specialist Andrew Weiland in New York today, a day after a meeting with hand specialist Randall Culp in Philadelphia produced inconclusive results.
It is safe to assume that the Phillies will be making a move in the near future to acquire some infield help.
Over at SB Nation's Phillies blog, The Good Phight, "Thumbpocalypse" has begun.
It's hard to understate just how huge the drop-off from Utley to Valdez/Castro will be, but suffice to say, if the Phillies still have playoff aspirations in 2010, some big personnel moves are in order. Or some of the guys on the current roster are going to have to enter Beast Mode.