Phillies' Trea Turner's Injury Reportedly Not Believed to Be Season-Ending, Bohm to IL
The Philadelphia Phillies placed star shortstop Trea Turner on the 10-day injured list on Monday due to a strained hamstring, though Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that "the injury is not believed to be a season-ending one, according to multiple team sources."
The team also put Alec Bohm on the 10-day IL with a shoulder issue, leaving them without their starting shortstop and third baseman ahead of an important four-game series against the New York Mets this week.
The Phillies come into the matchup with a seven-game lead in the NL East.
The Phillies already received a tough break when ace starter Zack Wheeler was lost for the season in August due to venous thoracic outlet syndrome. The Phillies have a solid pitching staff behind him, highlighted by Christopher Sánchez, so while his loss was a major one, it's potentially something the team can navigate.
Losing Turner as well, however, would have been a death knell for Philly's World Series hopes. The 32-year-old has been fantastic this season, hitting .305 with 15 homers, 69 RBI, 94 runs, 36 stolen bases and a .815 OPS. The 1-2-3 combination of Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper atop Philly's lineup is undoubtedly one of the biggest strengths of the team.
Turner has also drastically improved in the field this season, and his 6.6 WAR at Fangraphs ranks fourth in baseball, as Gelb noted.
Hamstring issues have affected Turner in the past. In 2017, a right hamstring strain cost him 11 days, while last year a left hamstring strain resulted in a 44-day stint on the injured list. The Phillies are obviously hoping this year's issue is closer to the 2017 timeline than the one from last season.
The Phillies likely have enough of a cushion to hold off the Mets at this point with only 19 games remaining, though a four-game sweep by New York could drastically change that calculus. Just as important for Philadelphia, however, is maintaining a lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 2 seed in the National League.
That would allow the team to avoid the Wild Card round and earn a few more days off after the season, which would give any injured players more time to recover (and allow a veteran roster some needed down time).
The Phillies and Dodgers will face off in a three-game series on Sept. 15-17.
