PHOENIX – Since getting hit with a pitch just before the All-Star break that resulted in a fractured rib and then developing inflammation in his left shoulder, Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has played in just 20 of the team’s last 58 games.
Friday, before playing the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team announced that it had reinstated Bohm from the injured list. Manager Rob Thomson penciled him in to play third base and hit sixth as the Phillies opened their final road series of the regular season against a Diamondbacks team that is fighting for a playoff spot.
Bohm is hitting .293 with 22 extra base hits and 42 RBI over his last 81 games and did have an 11-game hitting streak from mid to late August during which time he hit .349. That is the Bohm the team hopes they are getting back.
“Just see what the swing looks like with a healthy shoulder,” said Rob Thomson of what he’s looking for from his third baseman. I think that had a lot to do with a lot of the stuff that was going on. I think we’re all encouraged. Watching his BP over in Dodger Stadium was pretty good, pretty impressive. He showed some raw power in BP, anyway. Hopefully it transfers into the game.
Not that injuries ever come at a good time but these came when Bohm was really rounding into form before the rib injury sat him down.
“The power was coming, he was using the field and putting the ball in play hard,” said Thomson. “Sometimes time off helps. So, hopefully it helps him and get him back to where he was.”
The other player out with injury on the left side of the infield, Trea Turner, continues to rehab back in Philadelphia with the hope still being he returns for games before the playoffs begin.
“He couldn’t get on the field today because it was covered,” said Thomson. “So, he did a lot of stuff inside. But he went through his whole routine offensively inside, so we’ll get him back on the field tomorrow. He’s probably 60 percent (running), that’s from Trea. I want to see him run 100 percent.”
Painter is dry
Top prospect Andrew Painter threw four innings and gave up seven hits, three earned runs, two walks and struck out six on Wednesday for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and, according to Thomson, that’s all she wrote for the season for Painter.
“No. He’s done. He’s tired,” Thomson said. “To me he’s had a really good year, has come through healthy and it’s always the second year when you see the stuff really play up and a guy gets back to normal after Tommy John. So, I think, all in all, it was a very successful year for him.”
This was a work year for Painter, to just try and build up the innings and make sure that arm got through things well. He made 22 starts and threw just over 106 innings. While word was swirling earlier in the season about him coming up to the Phillies, the scenario still played out well.
What’s left?
The goal for the Phillies is still to try and win every game, get the top seed and a first-round bye. But there are still some things that Thomson wants to see his team work on while still trying to achieve those goals.
“Yeah, some reliever stuff. Get a one-plus out of certain guys,” he said. “But at the same time not put them in harm’s way. Just little things like that. Pickoff plays at second. Bunt plays. Doing some little things that we haven’t done a whole lot of.”
Might that include using closer Jhoan Duran for more than inning? Maybe face a fourth or fifth hitter in a save opportunity?
“He’s done that before, so I’m not really concerned about him,” said Thomson.
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