Utley returns as pinch-hitter in Game 5 loss
Infielder flies out in bottom of the ninth on Thursday
LOS ANGELES -- Chase Utley came off the bench on Thursday night for his first appearance since Game 2, and he lined out as a ninth-inning pinch-hitter for the Dodgers in their 3-2 elimination loss to the Mets in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
Utley is appealing a two-game suspension for an illegal slide that broke the leg of Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada in Game 2.
Utley did not appear in either game played in New York, where the Dodgers had a beefed-up security detail at their hotel and Citi Field. He left the Dodgers' clubhouse Thursday night without speaking to reporters.
A hearing on Utley's appeal is scheduled for Monday. Utley, acquired in an Aug. 20 trade from Philadelphia, will be eligible for free agency, assuming the Dodgers do not pick up an $11 million club option.