Trea Turner had a simple response when asked after a Philadelphia Phillies extra-innings loss Tuesday night what’s not working for him at the plate right now.
”Everything,” Turner said succinctly.
Turner went just 1-for-6 in the 12-inning loss to the New York Yankees Tuesday. Since playing in the All-Star Game for the third time in his career, Turner is 8-for-48 (.167) with 13 strikeouts. He said he didn’t see a ton to hit in the first few series after the midsummer classic, and is now “out of whack” in terms of missing pitches that he expects to hit.
He’s out of the lineup for the series finale against the Yankees Wednesday afternoon, with manager Rob Thomson saying Turner could benefit from consecutive days off, with the Phillies not playing Thursday.
Also out of the lineup: Bryson Stott, J.T. Realmuto and Brandon Marsh. Realmuto being off can be attributed to a 12:35 p.m. ET start time the night after playing extras. Lefty Nestor Cortes is probably the primary reason Stott and Marsh aren’t in the lineup for the finale of the homestand. Still, it’s noteworthy how much different Wednesday’s lineup looks than Tuesday’s.
The Phillies are 10-13 in July, and 3-8 since the All-Star Break. Their 65-42 record is still tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the best in baseball, but there’s no question that the funk the Phillies find themselves mired in is concerning.
Does Turner believe players-only, team meetings are effective for trying to get out of funks like this?
“No, just so you guys can write about it and tell everyone that we talked, but no,” Turner said. “…Those things are for when guys are being lazy … you have a bad culture … you’re not working, you’re not putting the work in. We don’t do those things. We work our asses off. We’re in the cage … we’re out in the field … we’re doing all sorts of things. It’s just, we’re playing bad. That’s what it comes down to.”
It’s true, this isn’t a team that’s losing currently because of mental errors or a lack of effort. There are going to be these type of stretches in a 162-game season. It doesn’t mean guys don’t care.
Additionally, there are no spreads in the middle of the clubhouse to be flipped. And while the manager does come into the clubhouse to talk to individual players, there is a bit of a boundary there that’s respected. The manager has his office, and the players have what amounts to their office.
Also true is that if there are team meetings — whether they are led by Thomson or players-only — there isn’t much of a reason to inform the public of them.
Thomson isn’t anti-team meeting, but believes that presenting a calm demeanor during the trials that inevitably come in a 162-game season is crucial.
“I think it’s huge,” Thomson said of remaining even keeled. “I think that there’s a time and a place to have a team meeting and get everything out in the open. I don’t think I’m there yet. But I think that in public and on the bench and during the games, I think it’s important to stay calm. I think it’s important to make sure that they understand or they know that you’ve got everything in order.”
Given Turner’s comments about the Phillies not being lazy or having a bad culture, what would Thomson talk about if he did address the team?
“I think it’s bringing up the facts, and this is what I did at the start of the last series,” Thomson acknowledged, “is you gotta get back to normal.
“You’ve got to just try to do the things that you do best, and not try to do too much,” Thomson continued. “So get strikes … hit strikes … use the field … pass the baton. If you’re a pitcher, you gotta throw strikes, you got to trust yourself. Trust your stuff and attack people. And try not to do too much.”
The Phillies will try to salvage the final game of what’s turned into an ugly homestand, where they are currently 1-4 against the Guardians and Yankees Wednesday. Then they’ll head out west for a 10-game roadtrip. If things don’t get straightened out during that period, maybe it will be time for some sort of group conversation. But don’t expect yelling, cursing and flipping tables. That’s not Thomson, and it probably wouldn’t be well-received in a veteran-heavy clubhouse.
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