Trea Turner to miss at least 6 weeks, testing Phillies’ depth without their most dynamic player

PHILADELPHIA – Trea Turner knew it. He acknowledged he did a decent job fooling everyone in the moment, but 30 minutes after a Philadelphia Phillies victory that cost Turner at least six weeks, it was harder to hide his concern. Rob Thomson found Turner in the Phillies clubhouse and put his hand on his shortstop’s shoulder. A few teammates reassured Turner.

That’s when they all knew. Turner faced a significant absence due to a hamstring strain.

“It could have been a lot worse than it was,” Turner said Saturday, two hours after receiving his diagnosis. “It’s like that.”

That it could have been worse perhaps reflects the Phillies’ luck. Turner’s season isn’t over. The left hamstring strain was significant, but not severe enough to require surgery. He could return in mid-June if everything goes as planned. The Phillies have different choices to fill out their infield. They’ve racked up wins to start this season and entered Saturday with the best record in baseball.

It could be worse. But these weeks without Turner will be difficult.

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

Edmundo Sosa, the 28-year-old Panamanian reserve, will get the first chance at shortstop in Turner’s absence. Phillies will have Bryson Stott start practicing at shortstop; It’s been 546 days since he last registered a round. Sosa won’t play every day. If Stott slides into the field, Whit Merrifield will see his playing time increase at second base.

That may be the scenario the Phillies choose later this month. For now, it’s Sosa, a capable fielder who got exposure last season at the plate with an increased number of at-bats. The Phillies signed Merrifield with the idea that he could slot in somewhere in the lineup if an injury forced the club’s hand. They will delay this – for now.

Merrifield texted Thomson Friday night once word spread that Turner was discouraged by how he felt. The veteran volunteered to work early at shortstop – a position he hasn’t played since college – to give the Phillies another option. “He’s a good teammate,” Thomson said. Merrifield at shortstop is unrealistic. But the Phillies know that a combination of Merrifield or Sosa collecting Turner’s bats is viable. Thomson will do more game chasing depending on the opposing pitcher.

Life without Turner could be worse. It’s still going to hurt.

“He’s a stud,” Merrifield said. “He’s playing amazing. Yeah, it’s disappointing. It’s a hard blow. But fortunately, it’s not the end of the season. That’s why it’s a long season. This is why it is important to have depth, to have players ready to step in. We have a lot of these guys. We have guys everywhere.

Filling in at shortstop is one thing. Finding the right right-handed hitter to place between Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper is another issue. Thomson opted for JT Realmuto. He didn’t want to disrupt Alec Bohm, who owns a mind-blowing .426 on-base percentage, from his productive spot as a cleanup hitter. One of the right hitters – whether it’s Realmuto or Nick Castellanos – must play in Turner’s absence.

Realmuto had a .288 on-base percentage through Saturday. Castellanos was .242. The National League average on-base percentage is .315. Turner led the Phillies with 27 runs scored in 33 games because he reached base ahead of Harper and Bohm. He was the prototypical No. 2 hitter in this lineup.

“I hope JT can fill the void,” Thomson said.

JT Realmuto hit .265/.326/.474 in 119 games as his team’s No. 2 hitter. (Harry Comment/Getty Images)

Realmuto had not finished second since April 14, 2022. Joe Girardi was the manager then.

So all of this will require some experimentation. And patience. The Phillies have faced prolonged star player absences over the past two years. Thomson was the caretaker manager when Harper injured his hand and broke his left thumb. It was then, in the summer of 2022, that the Phillies forged an identity. Schwarber raised his game; he didn’t perform well at the beginning of this season, and it is only natural to take the lead now.

But replacing Turner is impossible. He is the most dynamic player on the roster. The Phillies lose a stolen base threat at the top of the order. They are fourth in the Netherlands in slugging percentage and, in Turner’s absence, the best way to survive will be to pile up extra base hits.

Turner will remain with the Phillies while he recovers. The longest stretch of a season he ever missed occurred in 2017, when an errant throw fractured his right wrist. He lost 59 days. He missed six weeks in 2019 when he broke a finger trying to make a drop shot.

Since then, he has been in good health. He was still absorbing the shock Saturday afternoon.

“Right now, I’m doing OK,” Turner said. “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.

The Phillies recalled Kody Clemens, a left-handed hitter who will add depth to the bench. If the Phillies want to pinch Sosa late in the game with a right-hander on the mound, Clemens could do that, then move to second base with Stott moving to shortstop. This is just a hypothesis.

List items move during the first week of May. The six-month routine is something that is always looming. This is why Spencer Turnbull, unless contingency, will move to the bullpen starting Sunday. He’s been a surprise contributor, but the Phillies want to see what Taijuan Walker looks like as a fifth starter.

And, in the bullpen, the Phillies could use another trusted right-handed reliever. Turnbull could move towards this. Or he could return to the rotation later. Anything is possible, and that should be the case in May. The Phillies want to keep all doors open.

It’s better than looking for corpses.

“He can do a lot of different things because he gives you length, obviously,” Thomson said of Turnbull. “But he gives us another guy to face right-handed hitters because we’ve struggled with that a little bit. I have confidence in him to give him leverage (spots), so I think for now, that’s the way to go.

The season has its waves. The first five weeks have gone smoothly for these Phillies, who own one of the best 33-game records in franchise history. Now they face adversity.

There is a glimmer of hope.

“My year isn’t over,” Turner said.

(Top photo: Katie Stratman / USA Today)