Trea Turner, Alec Bohm injuries: Phillies lose two vital starters to IL while trying to hold on to No. 2 seed

The Philadelphia Phillies on Monday placed the left side of their infield — shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm — on the 10-day injured list. 

The most significant loss is Turner, who left Sunday’s game in Miami due to a right hamstring strain. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Monday that it was a Grade 1 strain but the team expects him “back by playoff time.”

“It was better than we expected,” Thomson said.

Turner, who homered Sunday before his exit, is hitting .305/.356/.458 with 31 doubles, seven triples, 15 homers, 69 RBI, 94 runs and 36 stolen bases. He’s the Phillies’ leadoff man and relies quite a bit on his legs as a big base-stealing threat and a good defensive shortstop. This is to say that the hamstring issue could be a particularly big deal here. 

Turner was out last season from May 4 until June 17 due to a left hamstring injury.

Edmundo Sosa is likely take over as the everyday shortstop as long as Turner is out. 

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As for Bohm, he’s landing on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. This season, he’s slashing .272/.319/.384 with nine home runs in 111 games. Baseball Reference credits the 29-year-old Bohm with a WAR of 0.4 for the season. Normally, Sosa would slot in for Bohm, but with Turner out, Weston Wilson could be a possibility, as he has limited experience at third base in the minors. Thomson said Monday they expect Bohm to be back after 10 days.

Utility man Otto Kemp and infielder Donovan Walton were added to the roster in corresponding moves.

The injuries to Turner and Bohm come not long after Phillies ace Zack Wheeler was lost for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder. 

The Phillies enter Monday’s series opener against the Mets with a seven-game lead in the NL East, so the division title is very likely not going to be impacted by Turner’s and Bohm’s injuries. They currently hold the No. 2 seed and a bye past the Wild Card Series, though they sit 5 ½ games behind the Brewers in the National League. The Phillies have their eyes on a World Series title and having a compromised lineup at any point in the playoffs is a big blow for their chances at hoisting the trophy.