Trea Turner (Hamstring) Returns To Phillies Lineup
All-Star shortstop Trea Turner rejoined the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of Monday’s series opener against the San Diego Padres following a stint on the injured list.
The 30-year-old superstar was activated from the 10-day IL after missing the last six weeks with a strained left hamstring suffered on May 3rd. He developed the injury while scoring from second base on a passed ball versus the San Francisco Giants.
Edmundo Sosa filled in admirably during Turner’s absence, hitting .277/.338/.500 with five home runs, 19 RBIs and a 136 wRC+ in 41 games this season. He also provided exceptional defence at short, registering +3 DRS and +5 OAA – ranked in the 94th percentile.
Though Sosa’s role is about to change dramatically, the Phillies will likely utilize him all over the field moving forward, given his versatility in the infield and outfield.
“He’s huge. I think for the last couple of years, probably the baseball world looked at him as a utility man. Now they’re looking at him like a shortstop,” Thomson told reporters, including the AP. “So his value is very high right now, as it should be because he’s played very well.”
Outfielder Johan Rojas was the odd man out amidst Turner’s return, as the 23-year-old struggled mightily thus far, slashing .235/.271/.295 while posting a measly 62 wRC+ in 58 games during his second big-league season.
Rojas, who’s a glove-first centre-fielder with two minor-league options remaining, also hasn’t been nearly as effective of a defender as he was last season, earning just +1 DRS and +2 OAA compared to the +15 DRS and +6 OAA he recorded in almost 100 fewer innings as a rookie.
Turner had enjoyed an impressive start to the 2024 campaign prior to hitting the IL, mashing his way to a .343/.392/.460 slash line and a pair of bombs while driving in nine over his first 33 contests. He also went 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts after swiping 30 in ‘23.
The two-time All-Star’s return means another healthy body rejoins a Phillies lineup riddled with injuries this season. While the club welcomed back Brandon Marsh over the weekend, they’re expected to be without J.T. Realmuto (right knee surgery) through next month’s All-Star break.
Philadelphia hasn’t skipped a beat despite having multiple key contributors on the shelf, as the Phillies lead the NL East at 48-24. They currently boast baseball’s second-best record, behind only the MLB-leading New York Yankees (50-24).
After inking an 11-year, $300-million contract, Turner’s bat went ice-cold to start his Phillies career last season, struggling to a .238/.291/.378 slash line and 79 wRC+ across his first 110 games. He struck out to a 23.8 percent clip in that span – a figure far above his career norm.
But he helped carry his new team down the stretch, blasting 15 home runs and 37 RBIs while slashing .337/.392/.663 with a 180 wRC+ over his final 45 games. That surge better positioned them to secure the first NL wild-card seed, ultimately paving the way for a second straight NLCS berth.
Turner showed little evidence of rust going 2 for 5 at the plate Monday night with a run scored in his team’s 9-2 victory. Philadelphia continues their 3 game series vs. San Diego Tuesday night at 6:40pm ET.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: Tuh22823. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.