"If there's a secret plan, an itinerary that plots out each of the dates and places of Chase Utley's rehabilitation before he plays his first big-league game this season, the Phillies have done a good job of keeping it to themselves.

The mantra has remained unchanged almost from the moment during spring training that the Phillies revealed the All-Star second baseman had a patellar knee tendinitis that both was serious and defied easy diagnosis: There is no timetable.

There are, however, clues he could be getting closer. Last night at Bright House Field, before a few hundred scattered fans on a muggy spring night, Utley started at designated hitter and batted third for the Class A Clearwater Threshers. He wore his red socks high, as all the organization's minor leaguers are required to do, and was introduced with his familiar walk-up music, Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir."

This has to be counted as progress. It was the first time he's played back-to-back days after two appearances in extended spring games. It was a step up in class, against better competition. And, perhaps most important, it started the 20-day "clock" running. In theory, that's how long a player can remain on a rehab assignment before he must be activated.

And while teams can stop the clock if a player is reinjured, it's safe assumption that the Phillies aren't planning on using all that time. In fact, on the other side of the state of Florida, before the Phillies played the Marlins, Charlie Manuel made it clear he doesn't want to wait a day longer than necessary.

"We want him back as soon as possible," the manager told reporters. "One person can mean a lot [to a lineup], especially the caliber of player Chase is. We're going to get better when Chase gets back."

Utley pronounced himself satisfied afterward.

"The knee felt great. I didn't do a whole lot of activity on it. I got to run hard to second. And it felt good," he said. "I'm happy with the progress so far."

As he spoke, the eighth inning of the Phillies-Marlins game was being played out on a television set above his head. He acknowledged he checked on the score more than once during the game."