Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner is slated to make his long-awaited return for the regular-season finale on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins. Turner has been sidelined since September 7 with a strained right hamstring, an injury that forced him out for most of the month. Manager Rob Thomson confirmed that while Turner will be back in the starting lineup at shortstop, he won’t be asked to play a full nine innings as the team carefully manages his workload ahead of the playoffs.
Turner has been one of the Phillies’ most consistent and dynamic contributors this season. He currently leads the National League with a .305 batting average and sits second in total hits with 179, just behind San Diego’s Luis Arraez. On top of his production at the plate, Turner has also been a major threat on the basepaths, swiping 36 bags over the course of the year. His return provides Philadelphia with a boost as they prepare for October.
Playoff Position Locked
The Phillies dropped a 5-0 contest to the Twins on Saturday, and while the loss didn’t affect their playoff security, it officially locked them into the No. 2 seed in the National League bracket. With that result, the Milwaukee Brewers secured home field advantage throughout the NL playoffs, thanks to holding the tiebreaker over Philadelphia. Even if the Phillies manage to end the season tied with Milwaukee for the best record in baseball, the Brewers would remain the higher seed due to that edge.
Injury Update on Ranger Suárez
Saturday’s game also delivered an injury scare for the Phillies. Starting pitcher Ranger Suárez was forced to leave after taking a 106 mph line drive directly off his right thigh. The team later diagnosed it as a contusion, but further evaluation will be needed to determine the severity and whether Suárez will be fully available once the postseason begins. His status could prove significant given the importance of Philadelphia’s rotation depth heading into October.
MLB Playoff Picture Taking Shape
Around the league, the playoff field continued to solidify on Saturday. Both the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers punched their postseason tickets, while the Houston Astros were officially eliminated, ending a streak of playoff appearances that stretched back to 2016.
Elsewhere, several contenders kept building momentum with wins. The Mariners, Padres, and Dodgers all came out on top as the final day of the regular season approaches. With seeding and matchups still unsettled, Sunday promises to play a decisive role in determining how the playoff bracket takes shape.