June 01, 2023
When Alec Bohm was held out of Wednesday night's lineup after undergoing an MRI, it was a likely sign of trouble, and Thursday morning's transactions confirmed as much.
The Phillies are putting Bohm on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring issue and are calling up minor-league infielder Drew Ellis to fill in the spot on the active roster in the meantime.
Bohm's hamstring issue started in Atlanta last weekend when he began feeling tightness and was held out of Sunday's series finale.
He returned to the field Tuesday night against the Mets up in Queens but tweaked it making a play at third base, leading to another missed game, further evaluation, and now the move to the IL.
For the Phillies, who have next to nothing going right for them of late, losing a starting infielder right now is far from ideal, especially during a pivotal stretch of NL East matchups.
They've lost three straight, are 4-6 in their last 10 games, and have just one run scored across their two games against the Mets so far.
And even though he has cooled off in recent weeks, going without Bohm as a regular bat in the lineup for at least the next week doesn't make the prospect of course correction any easier.
The 26-year old, who's been splitting time between first and third this season to help compensate for Rhys Hoskins' absence, is slashing .265/.321/.403 with six home runs and a club-leading 37 runs batted in through 53 games played. And while some of the biggest bats in the lineup especially have been struggling – Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber being the two biggest concerns – the progress and production from the Phillies Daycare of Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh has at least been one of the few silver linings while the club continues to find its footing.
But now even that has had a wrench thrown in it.
Ellis, 27, is a right-handed bat who has split time between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. With the IronPigs, he's batting .279 with five home runs, 19 RBI, and a 1.005 OPS across 11 games.
The expectation is that Ellis will split time and help handle the infield load between Edmundo Sosa and Kody Clemens while Bohm is out.
• José Alvarado pitched live BP Wednesday in New York and if everything feels fine, he could be headed for a rehab assignment quickly. A key piece of the bullpen in the late innings, Alvarado has been out since May 10 with left elbow inflammation.
• Darick Hall is slowly working his way back from thumb surgery but still appears a ways off from offering the Phillies any offensive or infield help. He began a rehab assignment in Single-A Clearwater this week but will need a lot of at-bats before he's major-league ready again.
• Top prospect Andrew Painter is also moving along slowly but surely in his rehab from a UCL sprain in his throwing elbow. The 20-year old is throwing again, but in a limited and cautious sense. The Phillies expect him to pitch competitively at some point this season (in the minors now most likely), but it's unclear when.
• Rhys Hoskins is continuing his rehab from an ACL tear. He's expected to miss the entirety of the regular season, but much like Bryce Harper in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, he's aiming to beat that timeline. Also, he has a beard now.
— jayme (@jaymehoskins) May 18, 2023
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
