PHILADELPHIA — Potentially facing one of the longest periods of absence due to injury in his career, Trea Turner didn't take long to decide whether the news he received about his injured hamstring on Saturday was better or worse than he had feared.
“Um, I would say … a bit of both,” Turner stated.
So, while it was better news than what he had initially expected when he first got hurt on Friday night, it might also turn out to be a bit worse. At least, that's how it seemed when Turner was informed about the results of an MRI on Saturday morning.
“They're saying around six weeks or so … anything before that would be considered a victory,” Turner commented. “That's what they're telling me right now. But I know that injuries in general are always tricky to put a timeline on. But that's the information I've been given.”
Turner experienced a hamstring injury early in the 2017 season, but only missed around two weeks of play for the Nationals. He has endured more serious injuries, like breaking bones on pitches; a right wrist injury in 2017 that sidelined him for two months, and a fractured index finger while attempting to bunt against the Phillies at the beginning of the 2019 season, which kept him out for about six weeks.
“I've only been on the IL once with that hamstring and broken bones. And with broken bones, you just sit and wait and you can't do anything,” Turner explained. “That's one reason I’m more hopeful about this. As you gain strength and become healthier, you can gradually increase activity, so it depends on me. It's not just sitting around waiting for a bone to heal.
“Apart from those two hit-by-pitches, I've been fortunate to have a healthy career, so hopefully I can move past this and return.”
Turner, 30, will be hoping for a speedy recovery to replicate his performance in the first 33 games. He was slashing .343/.392/.460 with a couple of home runs and nine RBIs. This was a significant improvement from his notoriously slow start in his first Phillies season.
All of this could make the wait for an intensified rehab seem even longer.
“It's Hour 2, so right now I'm OK,” Turner said. “But I'm sure after two or three days I'll already be fed up. It's going to be tough to watch. But I'll try to assist in any way I can, talk to the guys and hopefully still be there with them.”
The Phillies brought up Kody Clemens from Lehigh Valley to fill the roster vacancy.
“It's difficult, losing one of the best players in the game,” manager Rob Thomson commented. “But we've been through this before; people just step up. That's why you have a team.”
Utility infielder Edmundo Sosa took Turner’s position at shortstop and batted eighth in the lineup against the Giants on Saturday night. But as Thomson suggested, replacing Turner might require the effort of several players.
“For the most part, Sosa will be playing at shortstop,” Thomson stated regarding Sosa, who was hitting .286 in the game on Saturday. “But we also have to be cautious with him, because he hasn't been playing every day. If you play him for 10 days in a row, you're probably putting him at risk. So we'll assess that.
“When he is not playing, we are probably okay with (Bryson) Stott playing shortstop and Whit (Merrifield) playing second base or Clemens playing second base.”
Stott appears to be a reasonable choice, although it has been a couple of seasons since he regularly played that position.
“Yes, he has performed well in that position in the past,” Turner said about his double play partner, who was a finalist for the Gold Glove award last season. “He was the second best for the Gold Glove, and obviously that skill transfers to the other side. So completing plays and getting outs, I think he excels at that. I have complete confidence in him.”
