After enduring a tough start to the season, Philadelphia Phillies’ shortstop Trea Turner seems to be hitting his way back into fine form. Turner hit two home runs for the first time since 2022, singled twice, and had three runs batted in during the Phillies’ 8-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night. His performance delighted teammate Aaron Nola, who felt it was enjoyable to watch Turner’s game when he’s making contact with the ball.
Turner’s batting numbers had dipped into the “uh-oh” zone, with his batting average at .243 and his OPS sitting at 130th in baseball at .684. However, the shortstop has recently made changes to his swing mechanics. He credits his coaching team, as well as the analytics department, for finding something that was not quite right with his stance. The suggested adjustments have produced positive results, with his first multi-homer game in years included.
Turner arrived from the Washington Nationals and signed a massive $300 million, 11-year free-agent contract in the off-season. Initially, some Phillies fans grumbled that he may be a bust, but his latest performances are dispelling that notion. Turner won the World Series with Washington in 2019 and hit .298 with 21 homers and a career-high 100 RBIs with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year.
Manager Rob Thomson is not afraid to make alterations to his lineup, including last Saturday, when he moved Turner to the cleanup spot, and the shortstop has been hitting there ever since. The team has won three straight games, and the hope is that Turner’s streak will help propel them to another strong June, much akin to the 19-8 run they had last year.
