Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner went down with a Grade 1 hamstring strain on Sept. 7. He was able to return for the final game of the regular season. It’s still believed that Turner is still somewhat recovering from the injury as he awaits his chance in the 2025 MLB playoffs.

Turner has a battle on his hands dealing with a nagging injury like a hamstring issue carrying into October, but he’ll do his best to play through it. No MLB player is 100 percent heading into the postseason, especially after a long and grueling year, but it could lead to limitations for Turner in the NLDS.

Trea Turner’s speed could be key to Phillies’ playoff success, if he’s fully healthy

Turner took a while to get acclimated back to game action in 2024 when he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain. Turner cut down on his steals upon his return before eventually returning to his own speedy form.

Granted, Turner’s current injury isn’t as severe, but will he be able to ramp up quickly enough to utilize his game-changing speed? Luckily, the Phillies had a first-round bye to give Turner all the time he needed, but it’s going to be a pressing question leading up to Saturday.

Turner won the NL batting title this season with a .304 batting average, but it was his speed on the base paths that made his 2025 season an overall success. He had 31 doubles, seven triples and 36 stolen bases in 141 games. His 36 steals were his most since 2018. Per Statcast, Turner was also the fastest player in the majors by sprint speed. He was a menace this season, and it will rightfully earn him MVP votes this year.

The other worry is Turner possibly re-injuring himself while trying to make plays. The Phillies want to see Turner cut loose and wreak havoc on the base paths, but losing Turner altogether would be the worst-case scenario.

He took it easy in the two at-bats he had in Sunday’s season finale, running gingerly during his two ground outs to avoid any aggravation, per MLB.com’s Paul Casella.

“I knew if I was going to hit a ground ball somewhere, I wasn’t going to do anything stupid,” Turner said, per Casella. “[Sunday] was more about getting out there, just kind of feeling it again. More about seeing pitches and being on defense. I didn’t really get anything on defense, but the at-bats felt good. I knew if I hit something, I wasn’t going to be going crazy, like I could have.”

Phillies fans will be worried about Turner the whole postseason, the NLDS and beyond. The Phillies want to see Turner ramp it up quicker, and the importance of a World Series title will hopefully motivate him. There’s no guarantee that he will avoid another injury if he pushes himself as much as possible. He and the training staff will know better than anyone else so it seems like it’s well worth it.

Turner is a dynamic offensive threat and has been his whole career. He can still completely shift the feel of a game at 32 years old. He’s one of the fastest players in the sport and one of the most valuable the Phillies have. Turner knows playing is a risk, but he also knows the reward that could await him and his teammates at month’s end.