The Philadelphia Phillies have good news with starting shortstop Trea Turner. Turner is back in the lineup and batting leadoff against the New York Mets.
Turner exited the Phillies’ 6-4 loss to the Mets on June 18 after a Sean Manaea pitch hit him in the lower right calf. While he scored later in the inning, the calf became an issue defensively. He left the game in the third inning.
After the game, Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly hoped that Turner would be in the lineup for this game. It helped that they had a scheduled off day between the first two games of the Mets series, thanks to the World Cup.
The Phillies will try to even up this series against the Mets. They send their ace, Cristopher Sanchez, out to restore order. They’ll face right-hander Freddy Peralta, another welcome sight for Philadelphia hitters.
First pitch at Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 7:15 pm ET.
Trea Turner Bats Leadoff vs. Mets
Trea Turner resumes his role as the Phillies’ leadoff hitter. This game marks his 54th start of the season batting in that spot.
Turner hasn’t hit well out of the leadoff spot this season, as he’s slashing .229/.284/.339. However, his speed element adds an extra dimension to the Phillies’ lineup. He’s their primary basestealing threat ahead of All-Star sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
The season hasn’t gone well for Turner, and his issues have impacted the Phillies’ lineup. Most of the issues have been against left-handed pitching. Philadelphia is 11-17 in games started by a lefty this season.
The Phillies will need their starting shortstop to heat up at the plate. In his last completed game, he collected three hits in a loss to the Miami Marlins on June 17. It was a silver lining to an otherwise miserable game.
The Phillies are hoping that no more pitches hit Turner this homestand and require him to miss any more time. He’s had to exit two games already, as he was hit in the right wrist in the opening game against Miami. He’s otherwise started four of the first five games.
All eyes will be on how well Turner runs in this game. Presumptively, the Phillies are encouraged about that. Mattingly said Turner had difficulty pushing off his right leg, and they wanted to be cautious considering his injury history. Turner has had two separate hamstring injuries, one in each leg.
Phillies Face Important Game With Ace on the Mound
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JUNE 03: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the first inning during a game against the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park on June 03, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Phillies are still in a pretty comfortable spot in the National League Wild Card picture. While the National League East division might be too much of a gap, they still hold a Wild Card spot.
But the problem the Phillies face is that there are a lot of teams right behind him. They have a half-game lead over the Chicago Cubs and a full game over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Only the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, and Colorado Rockies are more than 4.0 games back of a Wild Card spot. This game gives Philadelphia a chance to bury the Mets in the standings and perhaps benefit from the upcoming sell-off. New York’s probable starter, Freddy Peralta, is one possibility.
Sanchez has been on a strong run of late. He was human in his last start, surrendering four runs to the Milwaukee Brewers in a 4-0 loss. The Phillies are 10-5 when their ace takes the mound in 2026.
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