Chase Utley could soon return from rehabbing his injury-prone knees and be back in the Phillies lineup as early as Wednesday.

Utley has not hit particularly well in his 20-day stint in the minor leagues. His rehab assignment ends July 1, and it appears Phillies manager Charlie Manuel wants Utley back with the club as soon as possible.

Jim Salisbury has more at CSNPhilly.com:

Utley played eight innings at second base for Single A Clearwater on Saturday night. It marked the first time he had played defense in consecutive games on his chronically sore knees since October. Playing defense on back-to-back days was considered an important step in Utley’s return to the active roster.

Utley is now expected to travel to Philadelphia for the final stage of his rehab assignment. That is likely to include his playing in one more minor-league game, probably Tuesday at Triple A Lehigh Valley, before being activated for Wednesday’s game against Pittsburgh – provided there are no setbacks.

In nine games with Single A Clearwater, Utley has batted .156 with a homer and five RBIs in 32 at bats.

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