PHILADELPHIA — Rob Thomson exhaled and then filled in the lineup card Thursday with the names of both Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto.
Harper missed the first two games of the series against the Miami Marlins with an illness that kept him away from the ballpark. He was restored to the lineup, batting third and playing first base.
Realmuto was removed from Monday night’s game after taking a foul tip to his right hand. He was diagnosed with a right middle finger contusion after X-rays were negative.
Rafael Marchan started Wednesday, but Realmuto was back behind the plate Thursday, batting sixth.
The news was similarly rosy on Trea Turner as he works back from a hamstring strain. He continued his planned workload of running and at-bats. While Thomson remains unsure if Turner will play in a regular-season game, he’s certain the shortstop will be fit for the Oct. 4 opening of the National League Division Series.
“Really good. The at-bats were much better,” Thomson said. “He stayed on his legs much better than he has the last couple of days. The running went very well, the agility. He doesn’t feel it.”
Turner saw live at-bats from minor league pitchers on Tuesday and Wednesday. He’s continued agility work and ground ball practice each day.
Thomson had said he preferred to get Turner a regular-season game, but that’s not an imperative. It’s not necessarily vital for Turner either.
“You’re never really going to know if you’re 100 percent until you play in a real game,” Turner said. “I can sit here and run sprints for another month and you won’t know until you’re in an actual game. That’s how I felt last time, and that’s kind of how I feel now. You just try to get as healthy as you can, as good as you can, and when it’s time to rip the Band-Aid off, you do it.”
Turner’s experience with the Grade 1 strain in his right hamstring is colored by last year when he suffered a Grade 2 strain of the left hamstring. He was placed on the injured list May 4, was activated June 17 and didn’t feel fully fit for a while afterward.
Last year’s strain was more severe, and it left him with more lingering doubts.
“With the injury last time, I think the hurdle was a little harder, so those first two games were probably a little harder,” Turner said. “I think I’ll be in a much better spot this time to get through those things. I’m trying to base a lot of my thoughts and decisions off last time.”
“He wants to make sure he’s 100 percent,” Thomson said. “We want to make sure he’s 100 percent. We know he’s going to be there for the playoffs. So I think the work he’s done here has been pretty good.”
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The Phillies week off is taking shape. Players will have an off day Monday and an intrasquad game Wednesday. Workout days will bookend the scrimmage, with a mandatory workout Friday ahead of Saturday’s NLDS opener.
The Phillies did an intrasquad game on Wednesday of last year’s week off before opening the series against the Mets on Saturday. The bats were sluggish in the 3-1 series loss, which has the Phillies adjusting certain things this time around, though Thomson didn’t go into specifics.
Players that aren’t on the postseason roster will congregate in Lehigh Valley for a “stay hot” camp.
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The Phillies welcome the eliminated Minnesota Twins for the final series of the regular season starting Friday.
Aaron Nola (4-10, 6.46 ERA) will get the ball to open the series. Ranger Suarez (12-7, 3.12 ERA) will toe the rubber Saturday against Mick Abel, the former Phillies farmhand dealt for Jhoan Duran at the deadline. Abel is 0-2 with a 14.63 ERA in eight innings over three appearances (one start) as a Twin.
Cristopher Sanchez (13-5, 2.57 ERA) closes out the season Sunday.
It’s a last chance for Nola and Suarez to state their cases for the postseason rotation behind Sanchez, who will start Game 1.
It’s possible that the three best options to start are all left-handers in Sanchez, Suarez and Jesus Luzardo, who threw seven innings without giving up an earned run Wednesday night. Thomson said he “would not” hesitate to start three straight lefties, though that is partially dependent on opponent.
The Phillies face three straight righties to end the campaign — four including the Marlins’ Janson Junk Thursday night — but Thomson said he’d get everyone a look in the series when asked about Nick Castellanos, whose platoon has left him playing mostly against lefties.