WASHINGTON -- It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto on the bench for Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals at Nationals Park.
Turner was scratched less than an hour before Saturday’s 11-6 victory because of back spasms. Realmuto then left the game in the seventh inning because of a bruised left foot. X-rays were negative after he fouled a ball off his foot in the sixth inning.
“I’m not going to put them in any type of danger,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said after Saturday's game. “We’ll know more tomorrow, but I’m going to be really careful.”
Turner’s back might be more of an issue than Realmuto’s foot in that Turner’s back has been bothering him for about a week. Turner said his right hip “locked up a little bit” three or four days before the end of Spring Training. Turner jokingly blamed the bed in Bryson Stott’s guest bedroom. They were roommates in the spring.
“It felt good playing,” Turner said. “It was more so sitting down or sleeping, stuff like that. It felt a little weird, I guess. When I would play, it felt fine. I think that kind of turned into this a little bit.”
Turner said his back tightened up toward the end of the Phillies' 7-3 Opening Day win on Thursday. Thomson said it then “locked up” while Turner was fielding ground balls during batting practice on Saturday.
“I’ve never had anything like this,” Turner said. “I’d think it’s day to day. I feel way better now than I did a few hours ago. I just basically got treatment all day. I don’t know a timeline or anything, but hopefully [Sunday]. If not, the next day.”
If Turner can’t play Sunday, Edmundo Sosa would start at shortstop. He went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Saturday. Rafael Marchán would start in Realmuto’s place.