Cody Asche (hand) took batting practice Tuesday.

It's possible he'll be back in Grapefruit League action on Wednesday. Asche gave the Phillies a scare when he was hit on the right hand by a pitch Sunday, but tests came back negative and he's feeling much better. He'll open the year as the starter at third base.

A preliminary ultrasound exam on Cody Asche's right hand came back negative.

He's been diagnosed with a bruised hand for now, though it's possible additional exams will still take place. Asche was hit on the hand by a Yao-Hsun Yang pitch Sunday, but, at least at the moment, it looks like he may have avoided a serious injury.

Cody Asche left Sunday's game against the Pirates after being hit on the right hand by a Yao-Hsun Yang pitch.

Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the hit by pitch "sounded horrible." Slated to open the season as the Phillies' starting third baseman, Asche will surely be taken for X-rays to determine the extent of the damage. Top prospect Maikel Franco took Asche's spot at the hot corner.

Cody Asche went 0-for-3 and had a couple of misplays at third base Saturday against the Yankees.

The Phillies don't trust Maikel Franco at third base, so Asche is essentially being handed the job this spring. However, while Asche is the better defender of the two, he was awfully shaky today, throwing Derek Jeter's routine grounder into the stands and then failing to come up with a hard smash right at him. Asche doesn't offer a lot of offensive upside, and he might well prove to be a weak link for the Phillies this year.

Cody Asche left Sunday's game against the Braves in the first inning after a throw from outfielder Domonic Brown struck him in the face.

The ball hit Asche in the chin and resulted in a lot of blood. He'll likely need stitches, but it's not a long-term concern. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said last week that Asche is the "leading candidate" to start at third base in 2014.

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said Wednesday that Cody Asche is the "leading candidate" to start at third base in 2014.

It comes as no surprise, as Asche has been the regular at the hot corner for the Phillies since the trade deadline and has held his own with a .248/.319/.416 batting line to go along with five homers and 22 RBI over 45 games. Top prospect Maikel Franco could be another in-house option eventually, but he needs more seasoning.

Cody Asche went 2-for-3 with a game-winning two-run homer against the Braves on Friday.

Asche is on fire of late, as Friday marked his third straight multi-hit game. The homer was his fifth of the season in 104 at-bats. The third baseman, who was ensured the everyday job when the Phillies traded Michael Young last weekend, is batting .287/.333/.485 this year.

Cody Asche went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals.

Asche drove in a pair with a single in the fourth before taking Tyler Clippard deep in the eighth. The third baseman was hitless in his return from a hamstring injury Monday, but he showed tonight that he's just fine. Asche is batting .266/.317/.447 with three homers and 17 RBI in his first 28 big league games.

Cody Asche (hamstring) remained out of the lineup Friday.

Asche, who tweaked his left hamstring Wednesday, was hoping to be ready to go Friday, but it's not a surprise that he's missing a second straight game. In fact, it wouldn't be a shock if the Phillies elected to hold him out all weekend. Michael Young is at the hot corner Friday.

Cody Asche (hamstring) is not in the Phillies' starting lineup on Thursday against the Mets.

Asche suffered a mild left hamstring strain on Wednesday night and might not be ready for action again until this weekend. Michael Young is playing third base.

Cody Asche is considered day-to-day after he was diagnosed with a mild left hamstring strain.

Asche was removed from Wednesday's game against the Mets, after tweaking his hamstring while running to first base on his seventh-inning single. He may need a day or two of rest, but the injury isn't expected to sideline him for any serious length of time.

Cody Asche was removed from Wednesday's game against the Mets due to an apparent hamstring injury.

Asche was 1-for-3 with a run scored before being replaced by John McDonald after singling in the seventh inning. No word yet on the severity of the injury, or potential timetable for his return. The rookie third sacker is hitting .256/.312/.419 with two homers and 14 RBI through his first 26 games.

Cody Asche tripled to drive in both Phillies runs against the Mets on Monday.

He also singled in the contest. It's his third straight two-hit game, raising his average from .214 to .253.

Cody Asche went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a stolen base against the Braves on Monday.

Asche has two homers to go along with a .225 average in 40 at-bats since being called up. The Phillies should keep him in the lineup against right-handers the rest of the way to see if he can be their 2014 solution at third base. It'd probably be a good idea to play him against some lefties, too, even though he's not likely to be an asset as a full-timer just yet.

Cody Asche went 3-for-5 with his first major league homer and two runs scored in Thursday's 12-1 blowout victory over the Cubs.

His two-run blast off Eduardo Sanchez capped off a six-run fourth inning for Philadelphia. Asche struggled out of the gate after his call-up at the end of July, but he has multi-hit games in each of his last two starts. He should have some value in NL-only leagues the rest of the way, especially if Michael Young is eventually dealt.