Phillies notes: Alec Bohm’s status, Otto Kemp’s power and an outstanding play by J.T. Realmuto
NEW YORK — Alec Bohm (fractured left rib) rejoined the Phillies in the Bronx on Sunday afternoon ahead of their loss to the Yankees. The third baseman remains on the 10-day injured list, but he’ll travel to Chicago for the club’s upcoming three-game series against the White Sox.
The Phillies (60-45) fell, 4-3, as New York avoided a series sweep at Yankee Stadium. Right-hander Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia’s ace, hit three batters in 5 2/3 innings and allowed four runs in a second-inning Yankees rally. Two home runs from Otto Kemp, playing third in Bohm’s absence, and another from Nick Castellanos did not provide enough offense for the Phillies.
“Hey, he grinded through it,” manager Rob Thomson said of Wheeler. “He had that one tough inning, threw a bunch of pitches. But he got through it, and we had a chance to win.”
Bohm stayed behind in Philadelphia for the first two games of the team’s series with the Yankees. Once he got to New York on Sunday, he threw in the batting cages and did rotation and ab work. Thomson said he’s still feeling “a little bit” sore, and he’s not swinging a bat yet.
The Phillies will determine the next steps for Bohm, who’s been on the IL since July 19, when they get to Chicago for a series that starts on Monday.
“We’ll figure it out tomorrow, where we’re at,” Thomson said.
Phillies notes
- Kemp hit 14 home runs in 58 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley at the beginning of the season. The power hasn’t translated as easily in the majors.
But the right-handed hitter put solid swings on his third and fourth big-league homers as he hit one shot to right-center in the second and another to center field in the fifth. He said after the game that he feels like he’s “getting closer” to how he felt in the minors and where he wants to be as a batter. Kemp said he’s learning to attack better pitches and know when he can get his best hacks in.
“I don’t think it’s ever going to be exactly where I want it to be, but it’s steps in the right direction,” Kemp said. - Catcher J.T. Realmuto made an impressive play in the bottom of the third as he leapt in the air for a Johan Rojas throw, caught the ball and placed a tag on runner Cody Bellinger to keep a run off the board. It was the kind of athletic play that most catchers — let alone most 34-year-old catchers — can’t make.
“Rojas has a really strong arm so I saw him charging hard on it,” Wheeler said. “Felt confident that he was going to make a good throw. J.T., athletic play right there, just jumping up and making a tag all in one.”
The center fielder Rojas ranged to his right to catch a potential sacrifice fly off the bat of Jazz Chisholm Jr. and fired it hard to home — but a bit high. Realmuto handled the rest.
“That was two athletes right there making a really good play,” Thomson said.
- Kyle Schwarber played just his seventh game in left field of the season on Sunday, and the ball found him pretty quickly. The nearly full-time designated hitter made a stumbling catch to end the bottom of the first inning and fell backwards, knocking his own sunglasses off his head. Schwarber found it just as entertaining as the teammates around him.
“He has fun with it, too, which is good,” Thomson said.
- Edmundo Sosa was frustrated after an at-bat on Saturday, so he slammed his helmet to the ground. Bryce Harper gave him some encouragement and let him know that “that’s not you.” Sosa responded with a home run in his next plate appearance.
While it was a pep talk that resonated with Sosa, Thomson did see some of the humor in it.
“Harp will do that, but at the same time, Harp will throw his helmet, too,” Thomson said on Sunday morning, smiling. The manager went on to explain how negative reactions like that might affect Harper differently than other players.
“I think in Harp’s case, he’s letting it go, and he’s getting it out of his system,” Thomson said. “In other people’s cases, I don’t think it’s getting it out. It becomes frustrating, and it carries over. I don’t think it carries over with Harp.”
Thomson compared Harper to former Yankees and Reds star Paul O’Neill, who was famous for his outbursts. “He’d take out a water cooler about once every three games, but that’s just how he got rid of his frustration,” Thomson said.
Luckily for the water coolers in the Phillies’ dugout, Harper doesn’t usually take things that far. - Reliever Joe Ross was added to the 15-day IL with back spasms this past week in a move that was retroactive to Monday. He said his back tightened up after he landed incorrectly on the mound while warming up for a second inning of work in his outing last Sunday.
He acknowledged that the injury came about from an “odd kind of occurrence,” but his back is making progress.
“It feels a lot better, so looking forward to being back whenever that is,” Ross said.