Bazzana Bananza at the Corner!
Travis Bazzana hits his first MLB home run in a 6-4 win for the Guardians!
The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled this season, leading to the promotion of Don Mattingly as manager. Concerns are rising about the team's performance, particularly regarding veteran player Trea Turner.
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DENVER, CO - APRIL 4: Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) warms up before a plate appearance in the first inning during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Philadelphia Phillies havenât performed as they hoped this season but things could be turning around.
The team enjoyed a surge in the standings immediately after it parted ways with long-time manager Rob Thomson and promoted bench coach Don Mattingly as his replacement. But ultimately, the chances of making a legitimate run to the World Series as expected will come down to the Philliesâ group of veterans.
With most of the payroll going toward familiar faces like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler, the Philliesâ fate rests once again with an aging core of tenured stars. For the most part, that group has performed in line with expectations, except for franchise shortstop Trea Turner.
In the midst of the fourth season of an 11-year, $300 million contract, Turner is batting just .240 â a marked step down from the .304 average that earned him the National League batting title last year. And despite his strong campaign last year, Turner suffered a late-season hamstring injury that raised some additional concerns about the future of his contract.
Don Mattingly sent a brief, two-word message to Trea Turner amid growing concerns about the team's performance.
The Phillies replaced Rob Thomson with Don Mattingly in hopes of improving their performance after a disappointing start to the season.
The Phillies experienced a surge in the standings immediately after promoting Don Mattingly to manager.
The expectations for the Phillies include making a legitimate run to the World Series, which now hinges on the performance of their veteran players.
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âTurner has dealt with hamstring strains in both legs the past two years,â Cole Weintraub noted for NBC Sports Philadelphia. âHis speed remains elite â 100th percentile sprint speed this past season â but that makes lower-body maintenance essential. Hamstrings tend to linger, and the Phillies will likely manage his workload carefully.â
Turnerâs .240 batting average and his .663 OPS are the lowest marks of his career through the first 36 games of a season and his defense has seemed to take a step back so far this season as well, as Matt Gelb pointed out for The Athletic.
Addressing the growing concerns around his performance at the plate, Turner noted that he feels inconsistency is at the root of the problem.
âI go get two, three, four hits in the game, and the next game (have) bad at-bats,â Turner told Gelb. âAnd then another game, you hit balls hard, and no success. Then, next game, bad. The consistency is just not there.â
To address those concerns, Turner has taken extra batting practice outside and acknowledged the issues head on. Mattingly offered a brief but encouraging take on Turnerâs progress.
âGetting better,â Mattingly said, per Gelb. âAnytime guys keep working, and they have ability, itâs going to happen, right? If he wasnât hitting and not working, itâs different. Itâs just believing that when youâre not going good, you can work and stay with it.â
If Turnerâs extra work can start to pay off in the batterâs box, it could go a long way in turning around the teamâs season and extending the value of his long-term contract.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com