Trea Turner: Hamstring Injury, but Optimism for the Playoffs
Good news for Trea Turner and the Phillies. Despite the injury to his right hamstring, which could keep him out for the rest of the regular season, the Philadelphia shortstop expects to be recovered to play in October.
Manager Rob Thomson reported that the MRI results were “better than expected” and that the injury is not as serious as the one that sidelined him for six weeks last season.
Turner, in his third season of an 11-year, $300 million contract, expressed confidence that he will need at most the last three weeks of September to regain his best form.
The Phillies have extended their lead in the National League East to eight games over the Mets. “The playoffs are the most important thing,” Turner said. “Trying to find that fine line between preparing for that and not rushing, coming back unnecessarily. Aiming for the playoffs, if not a little sooner.”
The Phillies are looking to win their second consecutive division title and secure the second seed in the National League playoffs. This would give them a bye in the first round and allow them to play the first game of the National League Division Series on October 4th, at home, possibly with Turner back at the top of the lineup.
Turner left Sunday’s game against the Marlins in the seventh inning after running to first base.
Turner hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to cut Philadelphia’s deficit to 4-2. When he came up again in the seventh, Turner grounded out and reached base on a throwing error by Miami’s shortstop.
“I knew I had done something,” Turner said. “I didn’t know to what extent.”
The 32-year-old leads the National League in batting average (.305) and hits (179) this season. Turner also has 36 stolen bases.
With Turner out of the top of the lineup against the Mets, Bryce Harper, two-time National League MVP, batted first for the first time since October 4, 2022, and for the 38th time in his career.
“We just talked about it, and it’s something we all wanted to try,” Harper said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Harper went 0-for-4 and struck out twice against the Mets.
The Phillies also placed 2024 All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm on the 10-day injured list due to a left shoulder injury.
“He’s been battling this left shoulder for a while, fighting it. It’s probably been 10 days,” Thomson said. “He could feel it from time to time in a swing. Yesterday he felt it in every swing, so we decided to stop this.”
The Phillies called up infielder/outfielder Otto Kemp and infielder Donovan Walton from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Turner and Bohm’s spots on the roster.
Kemp started at third base and Edmundo Sosa at shortstop against the Mets.
