The Philadelphia Phillies are about to begin a four-game series against their division rival New York Mets, and they will do so short-handed.
Phillies superstar Trea Turner left Sunday's loss with a hamstring injury.
On Monday, the Phillies placed Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm on the injured list, taking both players out of the equation for the entire series.
In addition, Brandon Marsh is sick, though he is with the team. Nick Castellanos will start on Monday in his stead.
The Phillies are hopeful they can get Turner back before the end of the regular season. He has a grade 1 hamstring strain, according to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. Manager Rob Thomson told the media that he should be back for the playoffs.
Philadelphia currently owns a commanding seven-game lead in the National League East and is four games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2 seed and a bye in the postseason.
Though this is hardly the worst time to lose key players, the Phillies should feel Turner's absence most of all. In 140 games, he is leading the National League in hits (179) and batting average (.305) while also stealing 36 bases.
Edmundo Sosa is expected to play shortstop until Turner returns, while Bryce Harper is in the leadoff spot on Monday.
The Phillies expect Alec Bohm to only miss 10 days
Barring something unexpected, Bohm should be back with the Phillies after he sits out the minimum 10 days. He has a cyst in his shoulder that needs to be drained, according to The Athletic, and he will also need an injection.
Bohm has endured an up-and-down season and is slashing .272/.319/.384 for the season, though his OPS is just .518 over his last 15 games. Bohm also suffered a rib fracture earlier in the season, costing him a month.
Otto Kemp will replace Bohm at third in the interim.
The Phillies enter their set vs. the Mets having won three series in a row since New York swept them in late August. The series will mean far more to the Mets, who are jockeying for Wild Card positioning with the San Diego Padres while also trying to hold off the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.
