Phillies' Infielder Fails to Make Most of Opportunity

May 6, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manger coach Don Mattingly (8) walks off the field after making a pitching change against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Phillies' Infielder Fails to Make Most of Opportunity

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated May 9, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies have made some changes to their lineup of late despite a lot of success since Don Mattingly took over. However, they still have a glaring issue at one position.

Coming into Friday night in their series opener against the Colorado Rockies, the Phillies have been able to win eight of their last 10 games. This strong streak has coincided with the decision to fire their manager, Rob Thomson, and it has clearly created a spark.

Even though the team didn’t change too much on the field, they have been able to take advantage of an easier schedule and beat the team that they are supposed to. Now, they have been able to make a run closer to .500, and there is once again hope that they can still be a contender.

However, despite some recent success, the team still has a number of issues, and one of them continues to be at third base. For the last two games, the struggling Alec Bohm has been on the bench in favor of Edmundo Sosa getting the starts at the hot corner.

While the switch is something that many have felt has needed to happen for a while now, he hasn’t made the most of the opportunity.

Sosa Not Making Most of Chance

The talented utility man for the Phillies has been given the chance to start the last two games, but hasn’t done much to earn the role. Even though there was a recent vote of confidence for Bohm from Mattingly, he has sat him out for the last two games to get a bit of a reset.

Unfortunately, with an opportunity to likely take over as the starter, Sosa has struggled, going 0-for-8 in the last two games. Overall, his numbers are far better than Bohm’s, but getting the chance to be the starter, he has struggled.

This season, he has slashed .254//.279/.356 with one home run and 10 RBI. For Bohm, his numbers are significantly worse, with his slash line being .159/.227/.206 with one home run and 15 RBI.

While the numbers for Sosa are better, his not making the most out of getting a chance to start consecutive games was disappointing to see. Mattingly very well could be going back to Bohm soon despite his struggles following a second straight loss.

Overall, third base is clearly a position that the team needs to address at some point if they are going to reach their lofty preseason expectations.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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