By Matt Snyder A day after the Phillies clinched a playoff berth for the fifth consecutive season, they're expected to get their second baseman back. Chase Utley has been out since last Wednesday with a concussion after being hit in the helmet with a pitch. He's not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader, but should be in for Game 2 (Todd Zolecki via Twitter).
Meanwhile, a different story emerged about Utley Wednesday. If you only read the headline, you wouldn't have known it, but Utley garnered the second-most votes in a Sports Illustrated poll of MLB players asking who is the "meanest" player in baseball. Only A.J. Pierzynski received more votes.
PETA wants you to know Utley's not a bad guy, though.
"A staunch defender of homeless, abused, and neglected animals, Utley not only founded the Utley All-Star Animals foundation with his wife, Jen, to help animals in Philadelphia but also starred in a national PETA campaign that encourages everyone to 'adopt, don't buy' dogs and cats," PETA said.
Also, according to the organization, "given the buzz around his fierceness on the field, [fans] might be surprised to learn that the people who should really fear Chase Utley are animal abusers!"
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