Phillies' Rob Thomson shares very encouraging Trea Turner injury update

Matt Sullivan

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Phillies' Rob Thomson shares very encouraging Trea Turner injury update image

The Philadelphia Phillies, right before the pivotal four-game New York Mets series, lost both Alec Bohm and, more importantly, Trea Turner to a hamstring injury.

There were fears it would be season-ending, but fortunately, the reports indicated a postseason return was in the cards for Turner.

After sweeping the Mets and securing another series win over the Kansas City Royals, Phillies manager Rob Thomson shared a very encouraging update on Turner's recovery, indicating the Phillies' shortstop is making great progress in his recovery.

Rob Thomson shares encouraging Trea Turner update

Tim Kelly of On Pattison shared Thomson's quote from before the series finale against the Royals, where Thomson revealed an encouraging update on Turner, one that is so positive that Thomson was hesitant to say it.

"I hate to say it, but it looks like he's ahead of schedule," Thomson said. "You hear that all the time, but no, he's doing really well."

There have been plenty of times when coaches, across every professional sports league, have said that an injured player is "ahead of schedule" in some capacity. Often, it's an over-exaggeration, but Thomson's comments should still be viewed positively.

Turner's recovery is a huge part of the Phillies' chances to succeed this October, and getting him back at close to 100 percent would be an immense boost for the Phillies.

Whether it's in the final week of the regular season or for the first postseason series, whenever Turner comes back, his return will be a welcome one. This update from Thomson indicates that Turner is making great progress, and said return is likely.

This season, Turner is putting together his best year with the Phillies. He's an elite defender for the first time since coming to Philadelphia, and is also hitting incredibly well, with a .305 average that leads the National League. He also has 179 hits, which also leads the National League.

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Getting back Turner would be huge for the Phillies, and this quote from Thomson, along with the reports that Turner is increasing his workload amid his recovery, is a great sign that Turner will be back soon.

Fortunately for the Phillies, they don't need to rush Turner back either, as they've clinched a postseason berth for the fourth consecutive year, and are just one win (or Mets loss) away from clinching the NL East.

The only thing the Phillies aren't, essentially, guaranteed to get is a first-round pick. They have a five-game lead in the win column and a four-game lead in the loss column over the Los Angeles Dodgers for a first-round bye, while being two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the NL overall.

Securing the bye without Turner would be huge, as it'd give him extra time to recover. But, based on this report from Thomson, the Phillies could potentially activate Turner near the end of the year if it helps them secure the bye.

For now, Phillies fans have a very encouraging update from Thomson on Turner's recovery. While he still will miss some more time, the Phillies' superstar shortstop is making great progress towards returning to the Phillies lineup.

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Matt Sullivan

Matt Sullivan is a freelance writer for The Sporting News, predominantly covering MLB. Matt is a native of Pennsylvania and has worked with Athlon Sports, Last Word on Sports, and other outlets.