Bohm still can’t swing and could be out for more than 10 days. Originally published on NBC Sports Philadelphia
MIAMI – After struggling with a strain in his left hand since August 29, Alec Bohm is now able to resume all but one baseball activity.
“Swing,” the Phillies’ All-Star third baseman said somberly as he stood in front of his locker at loanDepot Park before Friday night’s game against the Marlins. “That’s it. Obviously they can’t play the field as a DH for me. So it’s pretty useless until I can hit.”
With that in mind, the team reluctantly announced that Bohm, who had a stellar season, was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 3. Infielder Buddy Kennedy was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his place on the roster.
“We’re a little short on substitutes so we wanted to take our time and not rush him,” said manager Rob Thomson. “It hasn’t progressed as quickly as we thought it would, so we’re doing the right thing and making sure he’s ready to go.”
Bohm entered Friday night’s game with Kyle Schwarber as the team leader in RBI (89), second in batting average (.290) behind Trea Turner and third in OPS (.805) behind Schwarber and Bryce Harper. He was also tied with the MLB leader with 44 doubles. But he understands the logic behind the move.
“(It feels) like someone has a hammer and is hitting my hand with every swing,” he said. “Nobody wants to not be able to play. It was up to them as long as they didn’t want to have an extra man on the bench. Obviously I don’t want to hurt anyone by not being able to play and now we have one less man on the bench in case, God forbid, something crazy happens and we don’t have any players left.”
For now, Kody Clemens is expected to get most of the starts at third base against right-handed pitchers in a platoon while Edmundo Sosa plays against lefties. However, Thomson hinted that Sosa could be in the lineup Saturday against right-hander Darren McCaughan, as the pitcher’s left-right splits are fairly even.
Kennedy, a graduate of Millville (NJ) High School, posted a .295 batting average and .910 OPS for the IronPigs after being signed by the Tigers on June 7. He was called up for two days in late August but did not play in a game.
Bohm can be activated when the Phillies open a weekend series against the Mets next Friday at Citizens Bank Park, but it remains an open question whether he will be ready then, although a battery of tests have shown no structural damage.
“The last time I did it in 2021, it took me about 16 days to be able to play again,” Bohm said. “So when we got to the point where I still couldn’t swing, we just assumed it would happen around the same time. So no harm, no foul. Try to be back for the Mets series.”
And in the meantime? “We’re just doing a lot to strengthen it and do what we can. We’re doing what we can without being in pain and letting it rest and heal and be ready when the time comes,” he added. “Ultimately, I want to be healthy for the home stretch.”
While Thomson hopes to get Bohm as soon as possible, he’s also realistic. “(It’s been long enough) that we need to make some progress,” the manager said. “First he needs to swing the bat without pain. Then he needs to do cage training and BP. And then velocity and curveballs. I don’t even know if there’s going to be any rehab. So hopefully it’ll be 10 days, but it’ll probably be longer.”
