Third baseman Alec Bohm is back with the Philadelphia Phillies as they continue closing in on the National League East title for 2024.
Bohm has been sidelined since Aug. 29 with a wrist injury he suffered while swinging the bat against the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies didn't make a roster move involving Bohm until Sept. 6 as they held out hope he'd be able to avoid the injured list. That turned out not to be the case, but as of Sunday Bohm is back from his minor-league rehab assignment, on the active roster, and in Rob Thomson's lineup. To make room for Bohm on the expanded 28-man September roster, the club designated catcher Aramis Garcia for assignment.
Bohm's return is an important one for the Phillies. In his breakout 2024 season, the 28-year-old Bohm has put up a slash line of .290/.343/.462 (124 OPS+) with 13 home runs in 131 games. Despite the missed time, Bohm's 44 doubles still lead the NL. He's backed up the top-line production with some strong quality-of-contact indicators this season. He's been missed, as Phillies third basemen not named Bohm this season have combined to hit .202/.280/.345.
Bohm will be batting fifth in Sunday's series finale with the New York Mets. The Phillies carry into that contest an eight-game lead in the NL East. That, of course, is a very sizeable lead given the late hour of the regular season, and as such the Phillies will almost certainly soon clinch their first division title since 2011. While Philly has been a playoff regular in recent years and claimed the pennant in 2022, this qualifies as a surprise. That's because the Atlanta Braves have won the last six NL East titles and, with a largely intact roster, were coming off a 104-win campaign in 2023. However, injuries have waylaid the Braves this season, and the Phillies have seized their opportunity. With Bohm back in the fold, the flag and quite possibly a first-round bye await.
