Injury may cost Trea Turner shot at historic Phillies season not seen in over a century

Trea Turner’s removal from the lineup due to a projected 10-day stint on the injured list does not seem to have slowed the Phillies down. The Phillies have a commanding lead in the National League East after sweeping the Mets this week. This was a hugely consequential series for the Phillies, whose magic number to win the National League East has dwindled significantly. Although the Phillies have stepped up to fill the gap left by Turner, this injury will likely cost Turner his shot at a historic Phillies season not seen in over a century. 

Prior to getting injured, Turner was on track to contest Ed Delahanty’s extraordinary 1893 season in which he became the first and only Phillie to surpass 100 runs, 200 hits, 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases, while maintaining a batting average of .300 or higher.

Turner exited the game on Sunday with 94 runs, 179 hits, 15 home runs, 36 stolen bases, and a .305 batting average.

Assuming Turner is only on the injured list for 10 days as planned, he should return for the Sept. 19 game against the Diamondbacks. If so, he will have nine games left in the regular season in which to score six runs and have 21 hits while maintaining a batting average above .300. The Phillies believe Turner will return before the postseason.

Turner is averaging .67 runs per game this season, and so nine games would be the exact necessary number of games for him to play to get the six runs he needs to hit 100. This assumes that Turner will return with full speed and base running aggressiveness when he gets off the IL, which is not what happened in 2024; that season, he had substantially fewer stolen bases and runs scored after returning from his left hamstring injury. Fortunately, the injury this season is less acute so I’m willing to believe he could get those six runs.

Turner's August hitting-streak proves he could get to 200 hits, but it's a tall order

Where he’s going to run into trouble is with the 21 hits he needs. Jimmy Rollins is the last Phillies player to pass 200 hits in a season with 212 in 2007, and prior to his injury, Turner was likely to pass 200.

Turner is averaging about 1.28 hits per game this season and so had he not missed any games this September he would have been on track for approximately 21 hits, the exact number he needed to achieve this landmark season. However, if he maintains his current average he will only get approximately 12 additional hits and will fall short of the 200 mark by nine hits.

But we know it's possible for Turner to surpass his average and get those 21 hits because in August he had a 10-game hitting streak of a legendary nature. During this hot streak, he had an astounding .522 average and racked up 24 hits. Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer observed, “Turner’s 24 hits are the second-most in a 10-game stretch by a Phillies player ever, behind only Pete Rose” (subscription required). 

So I’m saying there’s a chance.

Sadly, though, it is much more likely this stint on the IL will cost Turner this season's chance at making offensive history.