Injured Utley may miss start of '09

All-Star second baseman Chase Utley, who anchored the middle of the lineup for the World Series champion Phillies, will have surgery and may not be ready for the start of the 2009 regular season.

Utley will have surgery next week to repair any bone or cartilage damage he may have in his right hip. He will be able to begin baseball activity in 3-4 months, but depending on the extent of the damage, full recovery could take until May, team officials said yesterday.

"Our feeling is that he's going to be fairly close to ready if not ready by Opening Day," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "We fully expect to have Chase Utley with us for the bulk of the season."

Utley was bothered by symptoms during the season but still hit .292 and led all second basemen with 33 home runs and 104 RBIs. Utley started very well and tailed off in the last four months, hitting only 15 homers after May.

Trainer Scott Sheridan said Utley thought the injury may have occurred while he trained during the last offseason but could not pinpoint an exact time.

"He had some symptoms in spring training, he had some symptoms in July," Sheridan said. "It was really on and off throughout the season."

Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz had surgery yesterday for a lower back injury and will begin rehabilitation in 8-12 weeks. Feliz hit .249 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs last season.

Sabathia on the clock

Free agent lefthander CC Sabathia will have to decide soon whether to accept the Yankees' contract proposal because "it's not going to be there forever," according to team co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner.

New York offered Sabathia a six-year contract last Friday, and the proposal exceeds Johan Santana's $137.5 million, six-year contract with the New York Mets both in total and average, a baseball official familiar with the negotiations said.

Greg Genske, Sabathia's agent, did not return a message seeking comment.

Mussina: No regrets

At the start of spring training, Mike Mussina knew this was his final season - even if it meant giving up bids for 300 wins, a World Series ring, and a better shot at the Hall of Fame. Mussina officially retired yesterday after his only 20-win season, calling it "the right time."

The 39-year-old righthander finished 270-153 with a 3.68 ERA in 18 seasons with the Orioles and Yankees. "I don't have any regrets with what I decided," he said.

New condition for playoffs

In the aftermath of a confusing 46-hour delay for Game 5 of the World Series, commissioner Bud Selig announced he will enact a rules change stating that postseason games cannot be shortened because of bad weather. "All postseason games, All-Star games, and that will be full-length affairs, and the rule will be so written," Selig said following an owners' meeting in New York. Selig said the change also will apply to tiebreaker games that decide division titles and wild-card berths . . . The Cardinals were close to a contract agreement with lefthanded reliever Trever Miller, who was 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 68 games for the Devil Rays last season. The deal is likely to be finalized today . . . Mets rookie Daniel Murphy strained his right hamstring at the Arizona Fall League and will skip winter ball in Puerto Rico . . . In an exchange of former first-round picks, the Phillies sent outfielder Greg Golson to the Rangers for outfielder John Mayberry Jr. . . . MLB network announced the addition of former pitcher Joe Magrane to its broadcast lineup.