"Five hours before Thursday's series finale here, Scott Sheridan watched Chase Utley do some light running around the infield and some shuttle drills.

Two hours later, Sheridan took a seat directly behind the batting cage in the dugout tunnel to watch Ryan Howard swing a bat.

Utley, of course, remains sidelined for an indefinite period with chronic pain in his right knee despite his increased work with Sheridan, the Phillies' head athletic trainer. Beginning to run is an obvious sign of progress.

The news on Howard was encouraging, too. He had an X-ray on his right wrist after Wednesday's game, when he was hit by a John Lannan pitch there. The X-ray was negative and Howard batted cleanup Thursday with a small guard protecting the area.

"If it was hit on the bone, I wouldn't be playing," Howard said.

As for Utley, the patellar tendinitis, chondromalacia, and bone inflammation have kept him from doing any baseball activity other than hitting and fielding ground balls from a fixed position. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said at the end of spring training that Utley was not a candidate for the 60-day disabled list because the team hoped for a return before then.

An exact date is not certain."