Don Mattingly sticking with slumping Trea Turner in the Phillies lineup: ‘He’s always hit’
Mattingly said he hasn’t considered moving Turner, who went 3-for-26 on the road trip, further down in the batting order from the No. 2 spot.
When the Phillies posted their lineup card ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Marlins, Trea Turner’s name was where it has been for the past few weeks: second in the order.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said he didn’t consider giving Turner some time off as he’s continued to struggle at the plate. Turner was already slumping before the Phillies departed for their 3-3 road trip to Toronto and Milwaukee, but a 3-for-26 trip lowered his average to .219 and his OPS to .598 on the season.
Turner, who won the batting title in 2025 with a .304 average, has a 23% strikeout rate and 27.8% whiff rate this year. But Mattingly is steadfast that things will turn around.
» READ MORE: What if the Phillies’ most impactful addition was a resurgent Trea Turner? He’s working to make it happen.
“Because it’s Trea. He’s always hit,” Mattingly said. “It’s what we talked about earlier in the year with [Alec Bohm], when everybody was ready to bench him, not ever play him again. Guys who hit, hit. He’s a great player, and he’s going to be a great player for us.”
A few days off did work for Bohm’s own struggles this season. He had a two-day reset in May after his batting average dropped to .159 and then he hit two homers in the game immediately after. In the 32 games since then, Bohm has a .281/.326/.504 slash line.
Bohm was out of the lineup on Monday because he was a little “banged up,” according to Mattingly, who added that he was still healthy and should be back Tuesday. Edmundo Sosa started at third base in his place.
“He was just kind of gathering nicks and bruises as that road trip went on, a little bit in the hammy, a little bit in the hip, a little bit in the shoulder,” Mattingly said. “So I just wanted to give him a day, a chance to recover.”
Mattingly also said he hasn’t considered moving Turner further down in the batting order from the No. 2 spot.
“Not at this point. If it gets to that point, then [I’d] consider anything that’s going to help us win,” Mattingly said. “Everybody, all of a sudden, is talking about Trea today, but when we don’t score, Trea’s not the only reason when things like that happen. Trea’s a big piece of what we are, what we’re going to be, and if we’re getting really successful, we’re going to need Trea. So for me, I’m not giving up on Trea, I’m not moving him right now. It’s just the way I feel about it.
“ … I want to show confidence because I feel confidence. I wouldn’t say the things I say if I didn’t feel confident that Trea was going to find it, and be swinging more consistently and better as we go through the season.”
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Still monitoring Marchán
Phillies backup catcher Rafael Marchán has not been diagnosed with a concussion after he took a foul ball off the mask on Sunday in Milwaukee, Mattingly said. But the Phillies are still monitoring him.
“The update’s been good, and that we’ll continue to keep an eye on him,” Mattingly said. “I guess things can happen a couple days later, too, so we’ll keep an eye on him. But at this point the doctors have checked him out, he’s been through everything, and he’s good to go. ”
Extra bases
Left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus (left elbow inflammation) pitched one-third of an inning Sunday for triple-A Lehigh Valley for his rehab assignment. He entered with two inherited runners, walked a batter, and then struck out the next batter to end the inning. Backhus is next scheduled to pitch for the IronPigs Wednesday, and the Phillies plan to start building multiple innings. “He’s doing good, everything’s going in the right direction for him,” Mattingly said. … Outfielder Steward Berroa returned from the paternity list on Monday and was optioned to Lehigh Valley, the Phillies announced. … Jesús Luzardo (5-4, 4.35 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday against Marlins right-hander and Bishop Eustace product Tyler Phillips (1-1, 1.86), a former Phillie.
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