Trea Turner said on May 3, the day he strained his hamstring, that he expected to be out six weeks and that was exactly how long he was sidelined. He returned to the Phillies’ active roster Monday to begin a six-game homestand.
Turner will be right back in the Phillies’ lineup at shortstop, resuming his role as the No. 2 hitter behind Kyle Schwarber.
Edmundo Sosa played extremely well offensively and defensively during Turner’s absence, hitting .282/.342/.509 with five doubles, four triples, four homers, 17 RBI and 22 runs scored in 33 games. The Phillies went 22-11.
With Turner back, Sosa reverts to his role as a super-utilityman. He will also get work in the outfield during pregame sessions to potentially give the Phillies another right-handed-hitting option in left field or center field.
The Phils faced a difficult decision in creating room on the active roster for Turner. The casualty was Johan Rojas, who was optioned to Triple A. The other choices would have been designating Cristian Pache or David Dahl for assignment, choices that would have likely resulted in either player being snagged by another club.
Rojas will play every day at Triple A and receive a ton of at-bats as the Phillies look for him to find more of an offensive footing. In 58 games this season, he’s hit .235/.271/.295. In 59 games last summer, he hit .302/.342/.430. He struggled mightily in the playoffs and the Phillies did not expect that level of offensive production moving forward, but they need a bit more than what he’s provided through 196 plate appearances.
Without Rojas, it appears the Phillies will platoon Brandon Marsh and Pache in center field with Whit Merrifield and Dahl in left.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
