Trea Turner gets ‘on a good track’ with three hits in return to the Phillies lineup

Trea Turner didn’t waste any time in his return to the Phillies lineup.

The shortstop sat out Tuesday’s game with a bruised wrist after getting hit by a fastball the day prior. But once the swelling went down, he was back in the lineup on Wednesday — and was back atop the order for the first time since May 25.

Turner singled to lead off the first inning against Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara and then picked up two more hits, including a double, to finish 3-for-5 in the 12-4 loss. It marked his first game with at least three hits since May 9.

» READ MORE: After his latest rough start, can Andrew Painter keep pitching for the Phillies?

For the past three weeks, Kyle Schwarber has been leading off for the Phillies, and interim manager Don Mattingly even used Brandon Marsh in the No. 1 spot for a one-game experiment on Tuesday. But Mattingly said he always planned for Turner to return to being his long-term leadoff hitter because of his base-stealing ability.

“He’s able to run up there,” Mattingly said. “He gets behind Schwarb, and he’s on, he’s not able to run. Always wanted him there.”

Turner’s three hits on Wednesday raised his season batting average to .233, and he also stole his 15th base of the season. There’s still work to be done for him to dig out of this slump, but he saw positive signs on Wednesday.

“I think I did a lot of good things today from my standpoint, just kind of competing, and two-strike hitting,” Turner said. “Fouled off some pitches I probably would’ve swung and missed at, and I feel like I was doing what I wanted up there. I felt like real positive individually today from just my at-bats standpoint, and felt like I’m on a good track.”

Jesús Luzardo describes himself as a “creature of habit.”

A lot of it is because of superstition. The glasses Luzardo wears on the mound don’t actually correct his vision, but he wears them because in the past, he didn’t pitch well without them.

The lefty is strict about his routines, so he would know better than anyone if there was an underlying change causing the discrepancy in his home and road splits.

And this year, the difference between the numbers has been stark: he has a 1.55 ERA in seven road starts, compared to a 6.60 ERA in eight starts at Citizens Bank Park. His strikeout and walk numbers are around the same, but the contact that Luzardo has given up has been much harder at home. Of the nine homers he’s allowed this season, eight were at home.

» READ MORE: Is there a better duo in baseball than Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez? We asked the experts.

Luzardo doesn’t have an explanation for it.

“I just really think it’s a coincidence,” Luzardo said. “It’s unfortunate, obviously. No one wants to pitch bad, especially at home, but the routine stays the same.”

Luzardo was slightly better on the road in 2025, his first season as a Phillie. He posted a 3.67 ERA in 16 away games compared to 4.16 in 16 home games. But the difference has never been this extreme.

Luzardo hopes the start he made at home Tuesday, when he held the Marlins to two runs over seven innings, could be the beginning of a new trend.

“Obviously, I know I can do it,” he said. “I felt really good. So, hopefully, just keep building on that.”

MLB released its first voting update for the 2026 All-Star Game, and Brandon Marsh is on track to make it to the next phase.

Marsh, who entered Wednesday with a .327 batting average, good for third in baseball, accumulated 668,191 votes as of June 15. That places him third among National League outfielders, behind the Dodgers’ Andy Pages (800,496) and the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. (693,472).

Once Phase 1 of voting concludes on June 25, the top two position players and top six outfielders in each league will advance to the second round. After Phase 2, the top position player and top three outfielders will be named starters.

» READ MORE: ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Caleb Cotham talks aces, the development of Andrew Painter, and more

If his trajectory holds, Marsh will be an All-Star for the first time in his career. He said last week that it would be “really, really cool” to be included in the group, especially at home in Philadelphia. But for now, he isn’t paying much attention to the voting.

“I really haven’t even looked at it, to be honest with you,” Marsh said. “Really, just trying to enjoy now, and just take it day by day, and see where it all falls out at the end.”

Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.86 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday’s series opener against the Mets’ Sean Manaea (1-2, 4.78 ERA). It marks the Phillies’ first meeting against the Mets this season. … Shane Victorino and Larry Bowa will serve as managers for the All-Star Futures Game on July 12 at Citizens Bank Park, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.

Watch the latest episode

Say this for the Phillies: They are what we thought they were, a playoff contender led by two aces atop the starting rotation and a dominant closer. Pitching coach Caleb Cotham joins "Phillies Extra," The Inquirer's baseball podcast, to discuss the state of the Phillies' pitching, from the success of Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler to the struggles of Andrew Painter. Watch here.

You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Previous episodes: Larry Bowa | Joe Maddon | Rhys Hoskins | Terry Francona | Aaron Rowand | Hunter Pence | Paco Figueroa | Gage Wood | Scott Boras