Healthy At Last? Utley & Howard Among Players Already in Camp

                While only time will tell if they are truly healthy and can maintain that health for the long run, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard were among players that have already hit the field in Clearwater.  Mandatory full-squad workouts won't take place until Saturday, but Utley and Howard were already taking fielding practice today.
 Utley moved much more smoothly along the infield than he has in the past few springs and could look to see Grapefruit League action for the first time since 2010.  Utley continued training in the off-season on the advice of doctors after it was decided taking the winters lightly the past few years has made it more difficult for him to get into playing condition come spring.  Howard took some fielding practice after others had already left the non-mandatory workout for the day, and reports are he looks to be much healthier than last season.  After a heart-breaking torn Achilles to end the 2011 season and an infection to slow the healing of the wound, Howard was never quite able to get to 100% after returning midway through the 2012 season.  While Howard was never a speed-demon on the base-paths, he had a quite noticeable hitch in his giddy-up after making his return last year.  With added time to heal, Howard should be at full-strength and be looking for a bounce-back season in which his power will hopefully return.
                 With promising early glimpses of two of their stars, the Phillies can be optimistic for the 2013 season, although they must be very cautiously optimistic.  While both Utley and Howard are reported to be fully healthy to start camp, there are no guarantees, especially when it comes to chronic knee problems like the ones Utley has been facing the past two seasons.  It's safe to assume that both players as well as the club will proceed with extreme caution throughout Spring Training in hopes of being ready for Opening Day.  Look for Utley to see his first Grapefruit League action since 2010, and Howard his first since 2011.  While seeing them both appear in Spring Training games would be nice, its much more preferential that they are available Opening Day and throughout the regular season.  Here's hoping for a healthy 2013.  Go Phils!