Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg met on Friday afternoon with Chase Utley. It was a good talk, Sandberg said. Utley understood, the manager said, why Sandberg moved him to the sixth spot in Friday's lineup against Arizona.
"It doesn't have to be a complete negative subject or topic to talk about," Sandberg said.
Utley entered Friday with a major-league low .118 batting average. He had batted third this season in 28 of his 29 starts. Utley, 36, last batted sixth on June 30, 2005. Grady Sizemore, who replaced Utley in the third spot, had not batted third since June 12, 2011.