Trea Turner Makes Unexpected Return To Pinch Hit, Plays Key Role in Phillies Win

Upon making an unexpected return, Trea Turner played a huge role in the Philadelphia Phillies winning their third game of the season.

Mar 24, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) is congratulated after he scored a run during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at BayCare Ballpark / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies were dealt two injury issues early to their starting lineup.

Trea Turner didn't play the final two games of the series against the Washington Nationals after suffering a back spasm, and J.T. Realmuto exited the second contest after fouling a ball off his foot and was held out for the finale as a precaution.

He did some work on the field prior to the game, but he wasn't expected to make his return until Wednesday with a scheduled day off between the first and second contests of this series.

But, with the Phillies down 1-0 in the seventh inning and a runner on second base, plans changed and manager Rob Thomson called upon the star shortstop to pinch hit.

Turner was a key cog in the rally for Philadelphia.

While he only took a walk and didn't have a game-changing hit that might dominate a highlight reel, what he did do was something that might actually provide more value to him and this team in the long run.

After getting off the bench following Bryson Stott's bloop double to right field, Turner whiffed at the first pitch he saw before fouling off the second.

Facing an 0-2 count, the free-swinging slugger laid off a changeup in the dirt. The next changeup was much closer to being a strike, but he still showed incredible plate discipline and ran the count to 2-2.

Turner then laid off a sinker on the outer edge before laying off another sinker that just missed the bottom of the zone, drawing a walk that put runners on first and second with two outs.

The very next batter, Edmundo Sosa hit a shot to center field that scored Stott from second and allowed Turner to run home from first base that gave the Phillies a lead. Kyle Schwarber then homered as the next batter to blow the game open and punctuate a strong inning from this offense.

What Turner did wasn't flashy, but it was important.

In the past two years, there's little doubt that he would have swung at one of the four offerings after getting behind in the count early, striking out and ending the possibility of a two-out rally in a late-game scenario where Philadelphia was trailing.

But Turner was patient this time around, looking much more like the past version of himself, taking pitches that were off the plate to walk and build momentum that resulted in an offensive explosion that secured a win.

It's only the fourth game of the season, but this is telling.

Turner talked about getting out of the hero mindset that he's had since he arrived here, likely wanting to live up to his $300 million contract.

While a two-run homer would have led the highlights and generated some buzz, what he did is going to benefit the Phillies in the long run.

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