Atlanta Braves rival loses star player to IL, may miss six weeks.
Trea Turner departed Friday night’s game with an injury, which might mean trouble for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Philadelphia Phillies are off to a great start in the 2024 season, remaining neck and neck with their NL East rivals, the Atlanta Braves. They defeated the San Francisco Giants on Friday night to grab the lead, and Trea Turner’s run from second base on a passed ball may have been the deciding factor.
Unfortunately, as a result of that play, the Phillies’ star SS, who signed an 11-year, $300 million contract last year, will miss at least the next six weeks due to a torn hamstring.
What Trea Turner’s Injury Could Mean for the Phillies
Unlike last season, when Trea Turner struggled early on, the SS has performed admirably so far in 2024.
In 33 games, the 30-year-old has cut.343/.392/.460, excellent for 146 wRC+. His 1.5 fWAR is the Phillies’ second-highest, trailing only Alec Bohm, and ranks 18th in Major League Baseball.
Without Turner at shortstop, the Phillies will most likely rely on Edmundo Sosa for the majority of SS playing time, though Bryson Stott could be moved to SS from second base and Whit Merrifield could play.
Sosa had only 23 PAs prior to Saturday’s game, but he had a 137 wRC+ in little play. Sosa had a 92 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR over 300 PAs last season.
Sosa may be a superior defensive choice at SS than Turner, who has a -5 OAA since joining the Phillies, but the Phillies can expect a big drop in offense. Sosa, 28, has a career wRC+ of 95.
Of course, with Sosa in the starting lineup, the Phillies’ bench will become substantially worse. To replace Turner, the club called up Kody Clemens from AAA. Last season, Clemens produced a 0.0 fWAR and a 73 wRC+ in 148 PAs for Philadelphia.
What Trea Turner’s Injury Could Mean for the Braves
While the Phillies have remained hot, the Braves have struggled over the last week, particularly offensively. Philadelphia’s continued domination has resulted in them taking first place for the first time this season.
Turner’s injury will clearly not solve the team’s offensive problems, but it might handicap the Phillies for the next month and a half, allowing the Braves to seize control of the NL East and gain some ground.
While we’d like to beat a healthy Phillies team, the team must pass up the opportunity while one of their best players is on the shelf.
