Phillies’ Trea Turner placed on IL; expects to miss at least six weeks with hamstring strain

Shortstop Trea Turner was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, the Phillies announced Saturday. Infielder Kody Clemens was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley as a corresponding move.

It is Turner’s first injured-list stint since July-August 2021. When asked how long he expects to be out, Turner said at least six weeks.

“Anything before that, I think would be a win,” Turner said. “But that’s what they’re telling me as of right now. Injuries in general, I think it’s always tricky to kind of put a timeline on it, but that’s what they’re telling me.”

Turner is batting .343/.392/.460 in 33 games this season. Clemens slashed .247/.327/.419 in 23 games with the IronPigs. In his only game with the Phillies this season, he went 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run homer at Cincinnati on April 22 when first baseman Bryce Harper was on the paternity list.

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Turner was injured in Friday’s 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants when he accomplished the rare feat of scoring from second base on a passed ball in the fourth inning. Turner said postgame that he felt something in his hamstring a few moments before he reached home plate and felt sore shortly afterward.

He was replaced by Edmundo Sosa at shortstop ahead of the fifth inning Friday and underwent further testing, including an MRI, Saturday.

“When it happened last night, I thought it was a little more serious than anything I’ve had in the past,” Turner said on Saturday. “I didn’t expect it to be good to go today, obviously. But I think they are pretty positive and it could’ve been a lot worse than it was.”

Manager Rob Thomson said Sosa will get the bulk of playing time at shortstop in the immediate future, but given how little Sosa has played (21 at-bats in nine games before Saturday), the Phillies want to be careful with him. Bryson Stott will fill in at times, with Whit Merrifield playing second base. Merrifield also offered to play shortstop — which he played in college, but not at the pro level — which is another option Thomson is considering.

Clemens should see some time at second base, as well.

Thomson said he’d like Stott to get some ground balls at shortstop for at least a day or two before making a start at the position. Stott played 77 games there as a rookie in 2022, but he hasn’t started at shortstop since the World Series that year, so it will be an adjustment. He was unable to take ground balls at shortstop before Saturday’s game due to rain, but he will get pregame reps at shortstop on Sunday, weather permitting.

Turner isn’t concerned about Stott’s ability to fill in.

“He’s been good over there in the past, and he was second in the Gold Glove at second base, and obviously that transfers over to the other side,” Turner said. “So, just the completing of plays and getting outs, I think he’s great at that. So I have all of the confidence in the world in him doing it.”

The bigger obstacle may be finding ways to replicate Turner’s production in the No. 2 hole of the lineup. Thomson said that for now, catcher J.T. Realmuto will hit there. But Turner’s bat will certainly be missed.

“It’s tough, I mean, this is one of the best players in the game you’re losing,” Thomson said. “But we’ve been through this before. And people just pick it up. That’s why you’ve got a team.”