Phillies' shocking lineup change before NLDS Game 2 raises concerns

After the Philadelphia Phillies let Game 1 of the NLDS get away from them, they'll have to regroup and come back with a better effort in Game 2 on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park. And they'll have to do it without one of their everyday pieces in the lineup.

The New York Mets feasted on a usually sturdy Phillies bullpen in the eighth inning of a shocking 6-2 loss on Saturday night. The loss wasted a gem from ace Zack Wheeler, and the Phillies now find themselves behind the 8-ball, as it were. Historically, the team that wins Game 1 of a best-of-five series wins the series 72 percent of the time.

Phillies' shocking lineup change before NLDS Game 2 raises concerns about Alec Bohm's health

When the Phillies released their starting lineup for Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday, there was one glaring omittance in the starting nine. Third baseman Alec Bohm was nowhere to be found. Instead, steady bench player Edmundo Sosa has been slotted in at the hot corner and is batting eighth.

It's not a secret that Bohm has been riding the struggle bus since he returned from a stay on the injured list with a strained left hand. In 12 games after returning to the lineup on Sept. 15, Bohm struggled to a .170 batting average and a .502 OPS to finish out the season. With his left hand wrapped, there were lingering questions about whether he was actually fully healthy.

The 28-year-old went 0-for-4 in Game 1 of the series, while batting fifth behind Nick Castellanos.

There were rumblings before the playoffs that manager Rob Thomson would be more proactive in subbing for struggling players. A one-game sample size seems like an extreme reaction, which leads to more questions about Bohm's hand.

Over the first half of the season, Bohm helped carry the offense with a .295 average and .830 OPS with 33 doubles and 70 RBI. After the All-Star break, his numbers slipped a little, and he hit .278 while his OPS dropped to .739 in 37 games before he landed on the 10-day IL.

Sosa hit .257 with a .734 OPS in 90 games for the Phillies this season. Most of his action came while shortstop Trea Turner was on the shelf for six weeks with a hamstring strain.

He has limited playoff experience, with a total of 15 plate appearances in 15 games, mostly during the Phillies' 2022 run to the World Series. He batted .250/.300/.375 in 12 games that postseason, but only made a single plate appearance last postseason.

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