Trea Turner's defense has truth bomb dropped on it by Phillies manager

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) throws to first base during the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park.

The Philadelphia Phillies had a tough end of May, ending the month with a sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers. The team returns to action tomorrow against the Blue Jays in Toronto, down a game in the NL East to the New York Mets. Although the team has still gone through its ups and downs defensively lately, manager Rob Thomson is encouraged by the progress they’ve made. He commented specifically on the gains that shortstop Trea Turner made to the Athletic’s Matt Gelb Sunday.

“I don’t know how to put a number on it,” Thomson said to Gelb. “But I think we’ve played very well at times. We’ve improved over the last year. And I think Trea’s played a lot better this year than he did last year. So, he’s improving. So, I don’t know how to put a number on it. But it looks bad right now because of the last two days.”

Turner’s defense has always been under question to at least some extent. Defensive ratings haven’t been too kind to him in his career, routinely ranking him towards the bottom of the league in most metrics. However, 2025 has brought a renewed focus to defense team wide, and Turner has taken that in stride. The Phillies are still very much within reach of all their goals. Can they break this slump, especially on defense, and get back to winning baseball starting in Toronto Tuesday?

Can Trea Turner, Phillies win NL East once again?

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Trea Turner's defense has truth bomb dropped on it by Phillies manager — Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

One game is nothing. It’s very easy to make up, as every sports fan knows. The Mets lose their next two, while the Phillies win theirs? Well, now Philadelphia leads the NL East. The team knows nothing is set in stone, especially since June is just getting underway. The season’s halfway mark is still six weeks away roughly. Plenty of time for plenty of things to change.

If the Phillies’ defense can get back to its previously upward trend, then things should go smoother in Toronto and beyond. The Blue Jays are in the middle of a tough fight in the AL East, which is currently led by the New York Yankees. Turner and the Phillies need to go to Rogers Centre and focus on doing the little things right. The teams that do that the most usually end up chasing championships. That is certainly a goal that Philadelphia wants to get back to.