The Philadelphia Phillies are shaking up their lineup tonight, benching struggling third baseman Alec Bohm in favor of Edmundo Sosa against the Athletics.
It’s a telling move from manager Don Mattingly, who’s shown he’s willing to make changes that his predecessor Rob Thomson seemed hesitant to make. The Phillies have been one of baseball’s hottest teams since Mattingly took over, and decisions like this show why.
The numbers tell the story pretty clearly.
Bohm is hitting just .159 with a .433 OPS across 126 at-bats this season. He hasn’t homered since Opening Day, and while he’s had some decent moments lately, the struggles are still there. For a guy who’s started 34 of the team’s 37 games, that’s just not getting it done.
Sosa, meanwhile, has been much better with his limited opportunities. He’s hitting .294 with a .733 OPS in 51 at-bats and already has one homer – in less than half the plate appearances Bohm’s gotten.
What makes this move even more interesting is the timing. Sosa delivered the go-ahead hit in Wednesday’s win, and now he’s getting rewarded with a start against right-hander J.T. Ginn.
This is just the fourth time all season Bohm has been benched, which shows how patient the organization has been with him. But Mattingly seems more willing to prioritize performance over established roles.
The way I see it, this could be the start of a real competition at third base. The Phillies are rolling right now – their pitching staff is finally living up to its potential, and the offense has been clicking. They can’t afford to have a black hole in the lineup, even if it means making some uncomfortable decisions.
It’ll be interesting to see how Bohm responds to this. Sometimes a night on the bench can be exactly what a struggling player needs. But if Sosa keeps producing, Mattingly might have found his answer at the hot corner.
