Trea Turner on injured list with hamstring injury

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies have gone on a deep run in each of the last two postseasons, even though at least one star player missed a significant portion of the regular season.

Now, they will look to do so for a third year in a row.

“It’s tough. He’s one of the best players in the game that you lose,” manager Rob Thomson said. “But we’ve been through this before. People just take it; that’s why we have a team.

The Phillies had another scare involving their other starter on the left side of the infield, when Alec Bohm left in the bottom of the third inning of Saturday’s win with right hip tightness. The team, however, said the move was strictly a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, Turner’s move to the IL is a tough break not only for the star shortstop, who is off to a torrid start, but also for a Phillies team (23-11) that is alone in possession of first place in the National League East in recent times. in the season for the first time since 2021.

“Well, it’s only the second hour, so right now I’m good,” Turner said of his frustration level Saturday morning. “But I’m sure that after two or three days I’ll already be tired of it. It’s going to be difficult to watch. But I will try to help in any way possible. Talk to the guys. I’m still with them, obviously.

In Turner, the Phillies lose not only their starting shortstop, but also a pillar of one of the best offenses in baseball.

Right-handed hitting Turner has settled in nicely at second this season, slashing .343/.392/.460 (.852 OPS) and leading the team in stolen bases (10) and runs (27) while effectively breaking down Philadelphia’s left-handed hitters at the top of the lineup consisting of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

Turner was a key cog, hitting .368 with a .911 OPS and 11 extra-base hits in the Phillies’ 22 wins. He hit .286 with a .719 OPS and just one extra-base hit in the club’s 11 losses.

With Turner sidelined, JT Realmuto — who had recently moved up to No. 5 after starting the year in the cleanup zone — is expected to emerge as the primary No. 2 hitter. Bohm, who recently assumed the cleanup role, will remain in this position behind Harper.

“I hope JT can fill the void,” Thomson said. “I wanted to keep Bohm behind Harp because he gives him some protection. It’s so hot right now.

As for covering Turner’s spot at shortstop, while there was speculation Friday night that Bryson Stott might move to shortstop if Turner missed significant time, that wasn’t the case SATURDAY. Edmundo Sosa started at shortstop against the Giants, while Stott remained at second base.

“For the most part, I think Sosa is going to play short,” Thomson said.

That said, Stott will see some time at shortstop – likely as early as Sunday. With Sosa recording just 23 plate appearances in nine games Saturday, Thomson is hesitant to immediately put him in an everyday role.

The Phillies also want Stott to get some pregame reps at shortstop before sending him into a game — something that wasn’t possible with the tarp on the field before Saturday’s game.

On days when Stott slides to shortstop — his natural position and the one he played for the majority of his rookie season in 2022 — the Phils will look to Whit Merrifield or Kody Clemens at second base. Merrifield also volunteered to play short, if necessary, although he has never played that position in the Majors – and he hasn’t taken a game rep there since 2015, when he logged 32 innings short for Triple-A Omaha.

“Here’s who Whit is: Whit texted me last night and he said, ‘I didn’t play short in professional football, but I did in college, and I’m more only willing to go out there and play,'” Thomson said. “He’s a good teammate.”

But will the Phillies accept it?

“We’ll take a look at it, for sure,” Thomson said.

However, this is an option that likely won’t come to fruition for weeks, if at all.

For Turner, this is just his fourth career stint on the IL (not counting COVID) – and his first since 2019. He missed six weeks with a broken right index finger in ’19 and two months with a broken right wrist in ’17. He only missed 11 days with a right hamstring strain in April 2017, but this one is much more serious.

“Anything before (six weeks), I think, would be a win,” Turner said. “That’s what they’re telling me right now.”