Rob Thomson gives positive update on Trea Turner; Phillies manager addresses schedule pundits
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The next step in Trea Turner's return to the field will have to be delayed a day. Turner was supposed to swing on the field in the next step in recovery from a left hamstring strain that sidelined him on May 4.
Just over two weeks from the injury, Turner will have to wait an extra day until he can swing with his teammates on the field.
"The tap's on — again," Phillies manager Rob Thomson joked before Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. "We'll treat today like a recovery day again and we'll get back to the normal workload tomorrow."
Is Turner ahead of the six-week timetable to return to the field? Thomson gave some positive feedback on his shortstop, who will travel with the team when they depart on their six-game road trip after next Thursday's game against the Texas Rangers (that will be three weeks since the injury).
"He's doing very well," Thomson said. "He's doing well."
Thomson said he's hoping Turner will make the trip with the Phillies to London when they head overseas for the two games against the New York Mets on June 8-9. That would be five weeks since Turner suffered the hamstring injury.
Is London a timetable for Turner to return to the Phillies lineup? Thomson isn't there yet.
"We haven't really got a target date for Trea to come back," Thomson said. "We haven't even set his rehab schedule up yet as far as games are concerned. We're gonna make sure there's nothing wrong with that leg when he comes back.
"That thing can be -- he can have that for the rest of his career if we don't fix it properly," Thomson said.
The Phillies are in the second year of an 11-year, $300 million commitment to Turner, making sure they'll be as cautious as possible in his rehab. Having a 32-14 record and the best winning percentage in baseball (.696) allows the Phillies to be as patient as they can be while Turner recovers from his injury.
Also, Philadelphia is 10-3 since Turner has been out with the injury.
About that schedule?
The Phillies have the best record in baseball (32-14), the most wins in baseball (32), and the best winning percentage (.696), yet their pundits have claimed the start is the byproduct of an "easy" schedule.
Philadelphia hasn't played a team that currently has a winning record in the entire month of May and hasn't faced a team currently with a winning record since the opening series against the Atlanta Braves -- back from March 29-31.
Thomson isn't apologizing for the team's strong start.
"You still gotta get it done. You gotta beat these teams," Thompson said. "If you got a favorable schedule, you gotta take advantage of it."
The Phillies have either tied or won each of their last 13 series, the longest span without a series loss since August 8, 1994, through June 1, 1995 (which was also 13 series). That is tied for the second-longest such streak in franchise history (the longest was 19 series from August 19, 1983, through April 25, 1984).
This run matches the longest single-season streak without a series loss since 1950, when the Phillies won or tied in 13 straight series from July 25 to September 2. Philadelphia won the National League pennant that year.
"There are a lot of teams right around .500," Thomson said of all the teams hovering around that mark in the National League. "Everybody talks about we haven't beat — or we had one series against [over .500] club. I don't know.
"But most of the teams we played have been right around .500 or a couple games below. They were just .500 prior to us playing them, so," Thomson said.
The Phillies are just playing — and beating — the teams on their schedule. They play the Rangers starting Tuesday, as the defending World Series champions are currently at .500.