Former Cardinal Edmundo Sosa hopes to be added to the Phillies’ playoff roster

Sosa, who has been out with a hamstring injury since Sept. 16, says he feels good and is ready to return.

Edmundo Sosa worked out with the Phillies on Thursday in St. Louis ahead of Game 1 against his former team.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Published Oct. 6, 2022, 7:25 p.m. ET

ST LOUIS — When the Phillies’ Edmundo Sosa was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on Sept. 16, he was told he could be out for four to five weeks. But Sosa, aware that his team was in the midst of a playoff push, put in long hours to try to expedite his rehab process.

The utility infielder arrived at the ballpark at 9 a.m. and left at 5 p.m. He watched every game, both when he was in Clearwater, Fla., and when was in Philadelphia, on the TV in the clubhouse or on his iPad. He watched the Phillies’ celebration on Monday night and was filled with happiness for his teammates.

“I felt like I was there,” Sosa said. “When they got to Houston, I was like, ‘It’s now or never.’ We’re happy to be here in the playoffs, but we’re going to keep battling to get to the World Series. It’s a goal of us to win it for the city of Philadelphia.”

Sosa arrived Thursday morning in St. Louis to work out with the team on the field in preparation for Friday’s Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Cardinals. He took batting practice, took ground balls, and did some stretching. He technically still is on the injured list but could be added to the postseason roster if the trainers deem him ready.

“I feel very good,” Sosa said. “Obviously, it depends on what the trainers say, but I feel ready. I worked very hard over the last two weeks in Philadelphia. I was working hard so I could return quickly and help the team.”

It’s fitting that Sosa could rejoin his team in St. Louis for the playoffs. He signed with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 2012. He spent 10 years in their organization and parts of four seasons in the big leagues before he was traded to the Phillies on July 30.

Sosa was brought to Philadelphia for his infield defense but has shown promise at the plate, too. After batting .189/.244/.270 in St. Louis earlier this season, he hit .315/.345/.593 in 54 at-bats in Philadelphia. Sosa credited this to some work he’s done with hitting coach Kevin Long.

“He’s just more staying on top of the baseball and not swinging up,” Long said of Sosa in September. “I think his focus [in St. Louis] was more get the ball in the air, and my focus is more to swing down and get into your legs and it seems to be working. Different routine, too. We started with the tee, flips, we don’t want anything hitting the top of the cage, we want everything on a line. He’s just in a really good spot. The ball jumps off his bat, it really does.”

Being back in St. Louis only a few months after the trade has been surreal for him. Sosa has yet to catch up with his former teammates, but he spent the morning going on a walk and visiting some of his favorite spots.

“It feels good to be back,” Sosa said. “I’m obviously back in a different uniform, but I’m going to have fun here if I have the opportunity to play.”

Extra bases

Matt Vierling will play center field for the Phillies on Friday in Game 1 because left-hander José Quintana is on the mound for the Cardinals. Quintana has good numbers against lefties, and Vierling is a right-handed bat. … Brad Hand threw a bullpen session on Thursday, and Thomson expects him to be ready to rejoin the roster. He still is on the injured list.