Phillies place Trea Turner on the paternity list and call up utility man Weston Wilson
Turner had a 15-game hitting streak and hit seven home runs in his last seven games. He was named National League player of the week on Tuesday.
SAN DIEGO — Trea Turner has been on a torrid hitting spree over the last month, but the Phillies will be without him for up to three games. Turner was placed on the paternity list ahead of the Phillies’ game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night. As a corresponding move, infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson was recalled from triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Turner has a 15-game hitting streak and has hit seven home runs in his last seven games. He has batted .339/.376/.718 over his last 30 games, and .358/.380/.881 over his last 15. He was named National League player of the week on Tuesday afternoon, after hitting .423 with a 1.231 slugging percentage over the last week.
Manager Rob Thomson said that Turner will be back on the roster by Friday, barring “something major” happening.
Wilson, 28, has hit .259/.364/.531 with 29 home runs and a .895 OPS for Lehigh Valley. He has hit .333/.438/.889 over his last seven games, including a two-homer game Sunday. With those two home runs, he tied Rhys Hoskins for most home runs in a season in Lehigh Valley’s franchise history.
Wilson, who signed a minor league contract with the Phillies in January, made his big league debut on Aug. 9 and homered in his first at-bat. He was optioned back to Lehigh Valley on Aug. 21.
“Wilson can play virtually anywhere on the diamond, so it gives us some flexibility for the next couple of days,” said Thomson.
Wilson, Rodolfo Castro and Bryson Stott are all options to fill in for Turner at shortstop.
Harper back at first base
Bryce Harper was penciled in at first base ahead of the Phillies-Padres game on Tuesday night. It will be the first time he’s played there since Sept. 1. Harper has been playing first base on and off since he exited the Phillies-Nationals game in the first inning with mid-back spasms on Aug. 11. The Phillies want to be cautious with him, since he has a history of back pain. Bending over to field a ground ball puts a different kind of strain on the back than taking a swing.
“We just talked after the game and I said, ‘How do you feel?’ And he said, ‘I feel good,’” Thomson said. “And I said ‘What about first base tomorrow?’ And he said, ‘I think I’m ready to go.’”
Thomson said it’ll still be a day-to-day decision on whether or not Harper plays first.