July 12, 2022

Phillies split series in St. Louis as Alec Bohm dislocates finger

By Shamus Clancy
PhillyVoice Staff

The Phillies split a four-game set in St. Louis against a Cardinals team they are vying for Wild Card positioning with over the extended weekend. Here are some quick notes on the Fightins as they sit at 46-41...

Alec Bohm 🤕

Sliding into second base on Monday, Alec Bohm dislocated his left ring finger.

Alec Bohm has a dislocated left ring finger. They popped it back in. Club is still evaluating whether he has to go on injured list. But it’s not broken.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 12, 2022

Bohm missing a prolonged period of time would put extra pressure on a Phillies lineup that is already dealing with injuries and inept play. Bryce Harper's fractured left thumb looms large. This is a team that needs reinforcements ahead of the trade deadline. Centerfield has been a glaring need, as has a potential upgrade at shortstop over washed Didi Gregorius.

Perhaps the Phillies do something drastic such as moving Matt Vierling from center to third as both a short-term solution and a long-term plan, but that makes the centerfield black hole even more vast. Work the phones, Dave Dombrowski!

Kyle Schwarber 💣

J.T. Realmuto said he consulted with doctors he knew and decided he did not need a COVID vaccine. He will forfeit close to $260,000. "I'm not going to let Canada tell me what I do and don't put in my body for a little bit of money," Realmuto said. "It's just not worth it."
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 12, 2022

Schwarber, having just been selected to his second All-Star team, "won the week" in Philly sports according to me and he's crushing it. He went yard on Sunday, adding to his National League-leading home run total of 28.

In having a discussion with Managing Sports Editor Evan Macy, we wanted to know how rare it was for a player to make an All-Star team with a batting average like Schwarber's, now "improved" to .219 on the season. Looking it up on Stathead, there have 34 such seasons for All-Star position players where they've hit .219 or worse.

Schwarber joins the likes of three true outcome sluggers Adam Dunn (.204 in 2012), Joey Gallo (.199 in 2021) and post-prime Reggie Jackson (.194 in 1983), as well as defensive specialists Ozzie Smith (.199 in 1995) and Sandy Alomar (.217 in 1991).

Dingers have the power to make fans forget how infuriating striking out a million times can be.

J.T. Realmuto 💉

Realmuto, sporting his worst OPS (.684) in eight years, will not be joining the Phillies in Toronto for the series with the Blue Jays due to the fact that he's unvaccinated and then Canada's vax requirements for entry into the country.

J.T. Realmuto said he consulted with doctors he knew and decided he did not need a COVID vaccine. He will forfeit close to $260,000. "I'm not going to let Canada tell me what I do and don't put in my body for a little bit of money," Realmuto said. "It's just not worth it."
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 12, 2022

"I'm not going to let Canada tell me what to do," is a hell of a line. It's not smart, but a hell of a line nevertheless.

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