Phillies’ Don Mattingly Sends 2-Word Trea Turner Message As Concerns Mount

“Turner has dealt with hamstring strains in both legs the past two years,” Cole Weintraub noted for NBC Sports Philadelphia. “His speed remains elite — 100th percentile sprint speed this past season — but that makes lower-body maintenance essential. Hamstrings tend to linger, and the Phillies will likely manage his workload carefully.”

Turner’s .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.

“I go get two, three, four hits in the game, and the next game (have) bad at-bats,” Turner told Gelb. “And then another game, you hit balls hard, and no success. Then, next game, bad. The consistency is just not there.”

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Philadelphia Phillies Manager Don Mattingly Offers 2-Word Response On Trea Turner Struggles

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 Turner’s progress.

“Getting better,” Mattingly said, per Gelb. “Anytime guys keep working, and they have ability, it’s going to happen, right? If he wasn’t hitting and not working, it’s different. It’s just believing that when you’re not going good, you can work and stay with it.”

If Turner’s extra work can start to pay off in the batter’s box, it could go a long way in turning around the team’s season and extending the value of his long-term contract.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com