Phillies Star Speaks Out About Offense Without Harper, Schwarber

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to have a hard time producing offense without Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Jun 24, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) hits a double in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies are still the best team in baseball. While they're currently holding the best record in the league by just one game, the next couple of weeks are going to be difficult.

Both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were placed on the injured list, which limits how much production the offense will be able to give. Other players will need to step up in their absence.

In the first two games of their absence, the Phillies have only been able to score two runs in each outing. They have gone 1-1 in those games.

Following the team's loss on Saturday to the Miami Marlins, star shortstop Trea Turner spoke out about the sputtering offense. He also made an admission about himself.

“You want to do the same thing, right, but I think sometimes guys try a little bit harder in situations. I know today that was probably the case with me. Just trying to do a little bit too much, missing some good pitches to hit, and started chasing. So I think it’s really easy to look at from afar, but when you’re out there, it’s hard not to try a little bit harder without those guys. So yeah, just a little bit.”

No one will be able to replace the production that Harper and Schwarber bring to the field on their own. Being patient and creating runs as a team will be necessary.

Despite the loss, Turner did have some positivity to share about how the team has played without two of their biggest stars.

“We were in the game today, had plenty of opportunities to win the game, so that’s the positive. But obviously we came up short. We’ve got a lot of good players, still, even with the guys we have out. Our pitching is still there, obviously. We’ve got really good starters going the last few days for us, the bullpen has been great. So we’re in each and every game. We know we’re just one hit away. I guess that’s all the confidence we need.”

While the two missing stars are a huge part of the success that the team has had this year, they are far from being the only reason.

All that Philadelphia needs to do until Harper and Schwarber return is stay afloat. They don't need to press for massive run production. The Phillies just need to do enough to win games.

Looking at the lineup, the talent is still there to be successful. It's not going to be easy, but with the right approach and a good pitching staff, they can tread water.

It will be interesting to see how the next few games go. Philadelphia has work to do offensively, but they have proven that they can still compete while they wait for their stars to get healthy.