Phillies shortstop Trea Turner misses second straight game; J.T. Realmuto sits out, too

WASHINGTON — Trea Turner has a theory about the origin of the back spasms that sidelined him Sunday for a second consecutive game.

“[Bryson] Stott’s spare bed wasn’t the best,” he joked.

Turner, who roomed with Stott in spring training, could be back in the Phillies’ lineup Monday for the Citizens Bank Park opener, although manager Rob Thomson might give him one more day. J.T. Realmuto almost certainly will be back, Thomson said, after fouling a ball off his left foot in the sixth inning Saturday.

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But three games into the season, Thomson wasn’t taking chances. So, although Turner and Realmuto were available off the bench, according to Thomson, they were held out in order to receive treatment.

“We’re shooting for those guys [Monday],” Thomson said.

Turner took infield practice Saturday but reported back spasms and was scratched an hour before the Phillies’ 11-6 victory over the Nationals. He said the issue might trace back to the final few days of spring training when his right hip “locked up a little bit.”

But Turner said he felt mostly fine while playing, and Thomson said the reports from the training room were that “it wasn’t bad.” Turner said his back felt “way better” after being treated during Saturday’s game.

Thomson planned for Realmuto to catch all three games against the Nationals. But he also huddled with Rafael Marchán after Saturday’s game and told him to be ready Sunday.

Realmuto left Saturday’s game in the seventh inning after fouling a 96-mph sinker from Nationals reliever Orlando Ribalta off the top of his foot. X-rays were negative, but Realmuto reported lingering soreness upon arriving to the ballpark Sunday.

“It’s more a precaution than anything,” Thomson said. “They’ll work on him during the game. Kind of the same thing with Trea.”

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Realmuto started 130 games behind the plate in 2022 and 2023 and was on track for the same volume last season before having torn cartilage removed from his right knee in June.

Thomson remains committed to cutting back Realmuto’s workload but has not disclosed a target number of starts.

“I don’t really know,” Thomson said. “It just depends on the season and how he feels and the workload and days off. I don’t know. I couldn’t put a specific number on it.”

Where’s the water?

Notably absent after the Phillies’ first two victories: the ritual of pouring water (or sometimes candy) on the player who gets interviewed on the field by NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Is nothing sacred anymore?

“I don’t know. [Brandon] Marsh left [Thursday],” said Stott, among the water perpetrators with Marsh and occasionally Alec Bohm. “I was like, ‘OK, I guess I’m not doing it either.’ I guess we’ll see.”

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Marsh struck out four times in the 10-inning, 7-3 victory on opening day but rebounded with three hits, including a three-run homer, Saturday. Interestingly, Thomson intended to sit him Sunday against Nationals lefty Mitchell Parker but stuck with him instead over Max Kepler.

(It will likely be reversed — Kepler in, Marsh out — on Wednesday night when the Phillies face Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland.)

Thomson plans to give Marsh more opportunity to face lefties. Marsh had a good at-bat in the fifth inning Saturday against Nationals lefty reliever Colin Poche, rifling a two-strike curveball to right field to load the bases.

Walk this way

Through two games, the Phillies drew 14 walks in 90 plate appearances, a 15.6% walk rate that led the majors. Small sample? Sure. But they also led baseball with 153 walks in spring training.

Nick Castellanos, never known for walking, worked three walks and saw 39 pitches in his first nine plate appearances. He walked on four pitches in the third inning Sunday, too.

“I think he’s seeing the ball better right now,” Thomson said. “[Teams] don’t try to throw Nick too many strikes. I think he’s learned that. When he’s able to see more pitches, he gets himself into better counts. Eventually, they’ve got to come to him.”

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Extra bases

Left-hander Ranger Suárez (back) will join the team this week and throw another bullpen session with simulated inning breaks Tuesday before being reevaluated. He will need to make at least one start in the minors as a prelude to joining the rotation. … The latest forecast for Monday, according to weather.com: 75 degrees and cloudy, with thunderstorms possible after 6 p.m. Gates to Citizens Bank Park will open at 12:35 p.m. The Phillies are asking fans to be in their seats by 2:20 p.m. for pregame ceremonies. … Cristopher Sánchez is scheduled to start Monday against Rockies right-hander Germán Márquez.

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