The three-time All Star has been ruled out for four to six months, with the latter meaning he would miss the first few months of the Phillies' title defence.However a four month recovery could mean Utley will make it back in time for opening day, when the Phillies will host division rivals the Atlanta Braves, on April 5th.
Early signs are that the surgery was successful, but it is still too early to give an accurate return date for the left-hander.
Utley was key to Philadelphia's championship winning season, hitting .321 and knocking in a league-leading 21 homers through the first week of June.
After that he cooled off, going .272 with 12 home runs the rest of the way, with his decreased production costing him a shot at the National League MVP.
The hip injury had supposedly been niggling away at the lefty since spring training, but Utley put up with it all season long and throughout the playoffs, where he hit just .220 but did come up with two big home runs in the World Series.
This video shows every single homer the Phillies hit in their Fall Classic victory over the Rays... just so you can all enjoy them again! See if you can spot Utley's big shots:
His loss would be a big one for the Phils, who need a consistent hitter like Utley to make up for the streaky form of slugger Ryan Howard.
No doubt new GM Ruben Amaro Jr. will be keeping a close eye on his progress, to see whether or not he needs to bring in a temporary replacement through free agency.
On a brighter note for Philly, third baseman Pedro Feliz also had successful surgery on his back and should be ready to go in 2-3 months, meaning the Dominican will be fit for the Phils' opening day date with the Braves.
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