Phillies' Trea Turner leaves game due to hamstring strain

Phillies shortstop Trea Turner made an early departure during the seventh inning of today’s game with the Marlins due to what the Phils announced as a right hamstring strain.  A throwing error from Miami shortstop Otto Lopez allowed Turner to reach base, but Turner immediately left the field and headed into the Phils’ dugout, and was replaced by pinch-runner Edmundo Sosa.

Manager Rob Thomson will provide more of an update in his postgame meeting with reporters, but it surely looks like Turner is heading for the injured list.  The only question now is the severity of the strain, and whether or not Turner’s availability for the playoffs is now in question.  Philadelphia entered today’s action with a healthy seven-game lead in the NL East, and with the second-best record of the division leaders, the Phillies would receive a first-round bye if the postseason began today.  Securing the bye gains even greater importance for the Phils if Turner needs a few more days to recover.

Losing Turner would be another huge blow to a Phillies roster that will already be without ace Zack Wheeler for the playoff run.  Turner has been not just Philadelphia’s best all-around player but one of the top players in all of baseball in 2025 — his 6.5 fWAR ranks fourth in the league, topped only by Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, and Bobby Witt Jr.

Turner launched his 15th home run of the season today, and the shortstop is now hitting .305/.356/.458 over 637 plate appearances.  On top of his 125 wRC+ and 36 stolen bases (in 43 attempts), perhaps the biggest story of Turner’s season is his enormously improved glovework.  After posting subpar defensive metrics across the board in 2023-24, Turner has quieted whispers about a possible move to the outfield by delivering +16 Outs Above Average and +2 Defensive Runs Saved from the shortstop position.

Durability has also been a big part of Turner’s production, as he has missed just three of Philadelphia’s games all season.  Sosa is the only other player who has gotten any time at shortstop this year, and while the utilityman is a decent replacement, naturally he brings a lot less than Turner in terms of overall productivity.  Bryson Stott could also handle some shortstop in a pinch, and Otto Kemp could be called up from the minors to then provide more infield depth if Sosa is taking on more of an everyday role.  Star shortstop prospect Aidan Miller is having a big season at Double-A, but it doesn’t seem too likely that the Phils would have Miller bypass Triple-A and toss him into the pressurized environment of a pennant race.

The pickings are slim in terms of external help, as any player acquired off a big league roster isn’t eligible for postseason play.  The Phillies can only trade for minor leaguers who haven’t yet appeared either in the Show or on a 40-man roster in 2025, or they can pick up players via the waiver wire.  If a team wants to shed some money off the books by designating a shortstop for assignment, the Phils might be more inclined to make a claim if Turner will miss significant time.