Phillies’ Trea Turner Sends Message After Rob Thomson’s Firing

Turner spoke to the media on Tuesday following the announcement and made it clear how tough the day was for him and his teammates.

“It’s tough, man,” he said. “I know Rob’s in charge of us and managing us, but we’ve got to go out there and play baseball. He’s not the one fielding ground balls or making pitches.”

Turner shouldered some of the blame for the way the team has been playing this season and showed how much it has affected him personally.

“He’s not losing those games out there. It’s us, and we’ve got to play better. I guess that’s the business side, or how it works, but it’s not fun to be a part of this. Nobody wanted this. Sometimes change can be a good thing, and hopefully we roll with it and play a lot better baseball,” he continued.

While Turner is showing some leadership and accountability, the Phillies are still struggling this season. Over his last 29 games, the 32-year-old has posted a .254 batting average, a .323 on-base percentage, and a .696 OPS, with 3 home runs and 10 runs batted in.

He is off to a slower start compared to last season, when he recorded a .304 batting average, a .355 on-base percentage, and an .812 OPS, along with 15 home runs and 69 RBIs over 141 games. That performance earned him the National League batting title and a fifth-place finish in MVP voting.

Turner has built an impressive career, earning three All-Star selections, two batting titles, a World Series title in 2019 with the Washington Nationals, and a Silver Slugger Award in 2022. He was the 13th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and has played for the Nationals, Dodgers, and signed an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Phillies.