Trea Turner in danger of losing spot in Phillies lineup
Trea Turner inked an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies last offseason, but as the 2023 campaign nears the dog days of August, he's done little to earn such a lucrative payday. And consequences could be coming.
After being given two days off to "help" Turner out of his slump, the leash on his two-hole spot in the Phillies lineup could be getting shorter. Before Friday's contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said that if the rest given to Turner doesn't help him turn things around, the club will "have to make another decision."
Unfortunately for Turner, and the Phillies, the two-time All-Star went hitless in his first four plate appearances on Friday before rain delayed the game in the seventh inning.
Turner leads the league in at-bats but doesn't have much to show for it. Ahead of Friday's contest, Turner had only 10 home runs and 34 RBI through 100 games, slashing a pedestrian .245/.297/.384.
While Turner has struggled mightily at the plate this season, he has sometimes shown some impressive defense. Though, for the price the Phillies are paying, they're undoubtedly hoping for much more from Turner with the bat.
Whether or not Thomson's statement was a threat the Phillies are willing to carry out remains to be seen. After all, Thomson has resisted moving Kyle Schwarber out of the lead-off spot despite posting a measly .182 batting average.
If Turner moves out of the two-slot, second-year infielder Bryson Stott seems like a decent replacement. The 25-year-old is batting .300/.342/.430 with nine home runs and 37 RBI and could be an excellent table setter for the likes of Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto.
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