PHILADELPHIA -- Though Alec Bohm initially appeared to have avoided an injury scare when he was hit by a pitch last weekend in San Diego, the Phillies now have placed the third baseman on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left rib.
The IL placement comes one day after Bohm returned to the lineup in Friday night's 6-5 loss to the Angels. He was hit in the left side by a 92 mph pitch from Yu Darvish in the second inning on July 12 and exited the game two innings later. He sat out the next day -- the final game before the All-Star break -- with what the team called a left rib cage contusion, but Bohm rejoined the lineup for Friday’s second-half opener.
Following Saturday night’s 9-5 victory over the Angels, manager Rob Thomson said that Bohm first underwent an X-ray in San Diego but it did not reveal the fracture. The third baseman said he felt better during the All-Star break, but he again noticed a pain during his final swing on Friday night.
Further imaging on Saturday afternoon revealed the fracture.
“It could be three weeks, could be four weeks, could be less than that,” Thomson said. “I hate putting timelines on anything."
The Phils recalled utility man Weston Wilson from Triple-A to take Bohm's place on the active roster.
On Saturday, it was Otto Kemp who took Bohm's spot at third base, with Edmundo Sosa at second over Bryson Stott with the Angels starting a left-hander in Yusei Kikuchi. With Kemp -- who had been starting in left field against southpaws -- starting at third, Thomson went with Brandon Marsh over Max Kepler in left on Saturday.
“He's an impact bat in the middle of our lineup; he's definitely going to be missed,” first baseman Bryce Harper said of Bohm. “Just got to pick up the slack. Understand that we've got guys filling in. Otto's played great for us, and Sosa, in the time he's been playing, he's played great for us, as well.”
Wilson, who was in Lehigh Valley's lineup Saturday night before being scratched, could potentially return to a left-field platoon with Kepler. Wilson slashed .276/.396/.447 (.843 OPS) over 19 games with the IronPigs after being optioned on June 19 following his slow start with the Phils.
"Started off a little slow, but he's been fine since," Thomson said of Wilson's time with Lehigh Valley. "He's always in the mix."
It's also possible that Kemp could remain in the mix in left field, with Sosa available to play third, though Sosa will likely continue to start at second base any time the Phillies face a left-hander.
As for righties, the Phils could start Stott at second, Kemp at third and Kepler in left -- or they could go Stott at second, Sosa at third and Kemp in left. In the club’s final game of the first half, Kemp started in left over Kepler against right-hander Nick Pivetta -- the first time all year Kepler has not started against a righty.
"I'd probably piecemeal it between Stott, Sosa and Kemp," Thomson said. "We've got some options."