The Philadelphia Phillies have secured everything they need to clinch a bye into the NLDS. Since late July, they’ve been among the league’s hottest teams and have their eyes set on capturing the National League Pennant. With back-to-back NL East titles under their belt, manager Rob Thomson has further cemented his reputation as one of baseball’s top skippers.
That said, Philadelphia has been without star shortstop Trea Turner for more than two weeks, sparking concerns about his readiness for the playoffs. Turner was sidelined in early September with a hamstring injury, and just before the team’s final regular-season series, Thomson offered a significant update on his status.
Phillies reporter Matt Gelb shared some encouraging news about Trea Turner’s postseason outlook in a recent X update:
“Trea Turner had another good day. Ran, hit against some minor-leaguers. Rob Thomson said he’ll be ready for postseason, but they’re hedging a bit on him playing this weekend. He might. He might not.”
Philadelphia wraps up its regular season with a series against the Minnesota Twins. While the Phillies technically still have a shot at the NL’s top seed, it would take a sweep over Minnesota and a Reds sweep of the Brewers—an unlikely scenario. With that in mind, the team will likely prioritize rest for key players ahead of October.
For Turner, though, a few at-bats before the postseason could prove valuable in avoiding rust. He’s putting together his best year in a Phillies uniform, leading the National League in batting average (.305) and hits (179), while posting a bWAR over 5.0 along with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs, most of them coming from the leadoff spot.