The Philadelphia Phillies dived into spring training this week but it hasn’t been without some drama.
Starting shortstop Trea Turner has yet to make his spring training debut after being away from the team due to personal reasons. The three-time MLB All-Star is one of the Phillies’ most important players and the last thing fans want to see is Turner missing any more practice time — especially with the 2025 regular season just over a month away.
Fortunately, the Phillies faithful have just received some much-needed positive news.
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman is reporting that Turner was in attendance during Wednesday morning’s spring training practice. The 31-year-old infielder fielded groundballs with infield coach Bobby Dickerson, so it’s safe to say Turner is back on track.
Trea Turner, who missed the beginning of the week because of a personal issue, is at Phillies camp this morning. Taking groundballs on the half field with Bobby Dickerson.
https://twitter.com/CSeidmanNBCS/status/1892208390740308303
The “personal issue” in question likely has to do with the fact that Turner’s wife, Kristen, recently gave birth to the couple’s third child. Now that he’s had some family time, the Boynton Beach, FL native is ready to get back into the swing of things.
The 2025 campaign will mark Turner’s third season with the Phillies after signing an 11-year, $300 million mega-contract in December 2022. Although his first year in the City of Brotherly Love left something to be desired, the former NC State product silenced all his doubters with a much-improved 2024 performance.
Suiting up in 121 games (505 at-bats) last season, Turner racked up 21 home runs, 62 RBIs, 27 walks, and 19 stolen bases while slashing .295/.338/.469 and earning this third All-Star nod. His 124 OPS+ was also an improvement over the previous year’s effort (112), giving Phillies fans hope that he’ll keep trending in a positive direction.
With news that he could be moved to the lead-off spot, Turner must play to his full potential in 2025. After all, the Phillies need his best version if they’re going to capitalize on their currently being tied for the fourth-best World Series odds (+1100) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
