Phillies' Lineup Change Helps Spark Struggling Slugger

A recent lineup change by the Philadelphia Phillies helped spark a struggling slugger.

May 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly (8) walks to the mound to make a pitching change during the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies recently made a change to their lineup with the hopes of sparking the team. After one game, it appears that the move has worked. 

Even though the Phillies won the first game of their series against the San Diego Padres, they made a major lineup switch before the second game. Philadelphia elected to move Kyle Schwarber into the leadoff spot and dropped Trea Turner down one spot in the order. 

Schwarber has been really good this year, and he does have experience in the leadoff spot in the past. This season, the star slugger has slashed .232/.350/.606 with 21 home runs and 37 RBI. Despite the really strong numbers, the 37 RBI are a bit surprising, and it is a direct reason for players not being on base ahead of him. 

For much of the year, it has been Turner at the top of the order, and the former All-Star has struggled. This season, he has slashed .225/.279/.347 with six home runs and 17 RBI. 

The drop-down in the batting order makes sense for Turner. Firstly, he was clearly impacting the lineup negatively, and moving him to second puts him in between Schwarber and Bryce Harper in a very favorable spot. On Tuesday, the move seems to work for Turner. 

Turner Performs Well Following Drop in Order

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner | David Frerker-Imagn Images

In the 4-3 win on Tuesday, Turner went 2-for-5 at the plate with a home run and a stolen base as well. As a threat on the basepaths, the slugger not being able to get on base effectively this year has limited his stolen base chances. 

While the sample size is small, the team did get a little bit of a jolt, and seeing Turner have a good game was encouraging. After going four straight games without a hit, something needed to change for the shortstop. Furthermore, it was the first multi-hit game since May 16th against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Overall, there is still a lot of work to do for Turner to turn his season around, but perhaps this move will help spark him. While he would ideally be a leadoff hitter for the Phillies going forward, splitting up Schwarber and Harper in the batting order does make a bit of sense. 

It will be interesting to see what the plan will be with Turner going forward. The offense is still an area that needs to be improved for Philadelphia, and perhaps this lineup will stick.