The Phillies’ Alec Bohm will play Saturday. When will he play third base again? That’s up in the air.
Joe Girardi says he doesn't know when Bohm will play third base again, but says it will be in the near future.
MIAMI — Phillies manager Joe Girardi says that that infielder Alec Bohm will play Saturday against the Marlins. He just doesn’t know where that will be. Bohm has not played an inning at third base since he committed three errors at the position on Monday.
He has pinch hit, and has still been productive at the plate: In his six at-bats since the start of the season, he’s hitting .667/.700/1.000 with a 1.700 OPS. It’s a very small sample size, but not one to ignore, especially for a developing player who needs at-bats.
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Since April 11, Girardi has chosen to slot Johan Camargo and Bryson Stott at third base instead.
When asked if he trusts Bohm at third base, the Phillies manager said he does.
“I just like what Camargo is doing there right now,” he said before Friday’s game. “[Miami] is a ground ball-hitting team, and we have a lot of ground-ball pitchers. I like the way Camargo’s playing. Again, we want to get Alec back out there, and that’s going to happen, but I chose to go with Camargo again today.”
If Bohm can’t play third base on a regular basis, Girardi said he could be slotted in at first base or at DH. The staff hasn’t made a decision on that yet, for the long term. But Girardi insisted that Bohm will play third base again, and tomorrow, will likely play DH or third base.
Girardi said it’s not that he prefers to pair Camargo with more ground ball-oriented pitchers, it’s just that he likes the way the utility man is playing.
“I think he’s doing a really good job,” Girardi said. “I’m going to stick with him. He’s had big hits. He’s done a lot of things. Alec has swung the bat fantastic, but Alec’s going to play third again, and it’s going to be sometime in the near future.”
When asked what he would need to see from Bohm for him to get more opportunities at third base, Girardi suggested a return to form.
“We just need him to play the way he’s capable of playing, that’s all,” he said. “If you remember, he had a day similar to that in 2020 in Atlanta [when he committed two errors], and he bounced back great. So I think he’s going to bounce back.”
Extra bases
Center fielder Odúbel Herrera (strained right oblique) is playing seven innings in a game in Clearwater, Fla., on Friday. Girardi says it’s unlikely that Herrera joins the Phillies in Denver, where they start a three-game series Monday.
Second baseman Jean Segura is still day to day (right shoulder). Girardi said he’s feeling better today, and doesn’t think it’s a serious problem; he says there is no need for Segura to undergo any tests.