Trea

Turner

Turner, who had been 0-for-6 this spring, was removed for a pinch-runner after singling in the fourth. He’ll be sticking around Phillies camp next month after going uninvited to rejoin Team USA for the WBC. He was one of the stars of the tournament last time around, going 9-for-23 with five homers in six games, but Bobby Witt Jr. got the nod over him this time and the club probably didn’t want to carry two shortstops who couldn’t be asked to play other positions.

Turner returns as Philadelphia’s top-of-the-order table-setter to kick off the postseason after missing a significant portion of September recovering from a hamstring strain. The 32-year-old power/speed combo fantasy star played five innings during last Sunday’s regular-season finale. Here’s the full lineup that will square off against Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani in his first career postseason start at Citizens Bank Park: Turner (SS), Kyle Schwarber (DH), Bryce Harper (1B), Alec Bohm (3B), Brandon Marsh (LF), J.T. Realmuto (C), Max Kepler (RF), Harrison Bader (CF) and Bryson Stott (2B).

No setback for Turner today, as he was expected to play about half of the game in his return from a hamstring strain. With the 0-for-2, he wins the NL batting crown at .304 for the season. Incredibly, it’s the first batting title for a Phillies player since Richie Ashburn won it in 1958. Turner was the only National Leaguer to bat .300. Nico Hoerner finished second at .297.

Turner returns to Philadelphia’s lineup for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Twins to prepare for their upcoming NL Division Series matchup. The 32-year-old shortstop will get a couple at-bats under his belt in an effort to get back up to speed after hitting the injured list back in early September with a low-grade hamstring strain. It’s an extremely positive development for the Phillies as they get their top-of-the-order catalyst back before the postseason kicks off.

The 32-year-old shortstop went through an encouraging workout on Friday and feels like he’s close, but the Phillies have no reason to rush him back into action. Expect him to get a couple of at-bats on Sunday to knock the rust off before heading into the postseason.

It remains unclear whether Turner will get into a game or two this weekend, but barring a setback, there’s little doubt he’ll be good to go for the NLDS.

There’s been plenty of optimism that Turner will be ready for the outset of next week’s playoffs but he still has a few hurdles left before he’s cleared to return since he’s yet to resume running at full strength. The 32-year-old shortstop is working his way back from a mild right hamstring strain that put him on the shelf back in early September.

The Phillies are reportedly thrilled with the progress Turner made while ramping up baseball activities over the weekend. They are bringing three pitchers with them to start this week specifically to throw live batting practice to Turner. If that goes well, he could be activated for the final series and seems like a lock to be ready for the postseason.

Turner, who landed on the injured list last week with a low-grade right hamstring strain, is expected to resume swinging a bat later this weekend or early next week. The 32-year-old power/speed threat still needs to ramp up his running progression before he’s cleared for game action, and with just over two weeks left in the regular season, the clock is ticking on a potential return before the postseason.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Turner has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain and they’re optimistic he will return before the postseason. The 32-year-old power/speed threat suffered the injury Sunday against the Marlins, and while he’s expected back before the regular season ends, fantasy managers in shallow leagues may be better off moving on — a reminder of how quickly a fantasy superstar can become expendable when late-season waiver-wire heroes emerge.