Phillies’ Edmundo Sosa credits his recent hitting surge to a minor adjustment he made in August

As Edmundo Sosa touched home plate on Friday night, he turned to face the crowd behind the backstop.

Sosa lifted his arms and extended his pinky and index fingers on both hands, flashing two rock star hand symbols. A fan in the Hall of Fame club seating raised one back.

Sosa had just bashed his fourth home run in his last three games since returning from the injured list on Wednesday. He made the same gesture a few times in his three-homer game earlier this week, which also served as the first multi-home run game of his career.

“I really do it for the fans, to pump them up a little after something exciting happens,” Sosa said through a team interpreter. “A couple of our teammates already do it. We’re just showing them some love, to share the excitement about the moment.”

Sosa hasn’t missed a beat after sitting out for 12 days with a groin injury. He credited the training staff and the live at-bats against the three minor leaguers the Phillies brought in to face him and Trea Turner, who is rehabbing a hamstring strain, with helping him keep his timing.

And Sosa also thinks a small adjustment he made to his stance at the end of August has led to this recent power surge. The Phillies hitting coaches noticed on film that Sosa was staying back with his body. Since then, Sosa has focused on standing in a more athletic position at the plate, which he said allows him to use his legs more.

In the 16 games since Aug. 23, when he tried out the adjustment in game action for the first time, Sosa is hitting .356 with a 1.117 OPS.

» READ MORE: Aaron Nola throws eight innings, moves to second all-time in Phillies history for most strikeouts

“I do believe that adjustment that we made has been key and has been really important to me,” he said. “It’s made me feel stronger, and it’s made me control my body in a better way.”

Lots of players have different routines as they celebrate their home runs. Throughout his career, Bryce Harper has been known to raise a symbol similar to Sosa’s, but also with his thumb extended, to make the sign language symbol for “I love you.” In a 2017 ESPN video in honor of Mother’s Day, Harper said he does the symbol for his mother.

Most players will also acknowledge the bullpen in the outfield as they pass second base.

Sosa often also blows a kiss for his wife. His daughter, he said with a smile, is usually playing in the family room rather than watching the game.

But the symbol he’s been making at home plate is reserved for the fans.

“They’ve been showing more love to me,” Sosa said. “And I just try to show it back to them.”

Max Kepler was out of the lineup on Saturday with an illness, though he was at the field and Phillies manager Rob Thomson said he felt “a lot better.” ... Turner (hamstring strain) went through a full day of work on Saturday. Thomson said he did not know if Turner would be in Sunday’s lineup. ... Cristopher Sánchez (13-5, 2.57 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday’s regular-season finale against Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (7-4, 4.27).