Phillies executive remains confident in Trea Turner's defensive skills

Phillies executive remains confident in Trea Turner's defensive skills originally appeared on The Sporting News .

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While Trea Turner has been reliable from the batter's box, slashing .250/.299/.404 with 16 home runs, the same can't be said for his work on the defensive side of the field. It's an area that sees the Philadelphia Phillies ' shortstop put up some rather lackluster performances, recording the second-highest errors in the league (18) for players at any position, while ranking in the bottom ten for putouts by a shortstop (83).

These numbers are one thing, but it's worth noting that they are the makeup of one of the more critical sides to Turner's defensive statistics; he has the lowest fielding percentage among shortstops in the league, .954, which ranks fourth among all players at the time of writing. Some of the more advanced metrics would indicate that Turner has been more than costly in the field, having a defensive runs saved of -14, meaning he's been quite the detriment to his team throughout the season.

All of this is to say that the three-time All-Star has been struggling throughout the campaign, but it's worth highlighting that he has the full support of the Phillies' President of Baseball Operations, Dave Dombrowski.

Dombrowski defends Turner's defensive abilities

Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski explains why he’s confident Trea Turner can come through at shortstop in big games and moments. @SportsRadioWIP @KYWNewsradio https://t.co/vpBe5C6vc4 pic.twitter.com/Xr4BU3H4QQ

— Dave Uram (@MrUram) August 3, 2026 Prior to Monday night's series opener against the Washington Nationals , Dombrowski spoke to the press about Turner's defensive development and apparent slump, something he isn't all that concerned about at the moment.

"Well, he's done it before, and he works hard at it. I've seen fielders go through struggling times just like hitters do, and pitchers do," stated Dombrowski. "So he's a proven big league player, and I think he'll do fine."

To the Phillies' executive's point, Turner has a fairly solid defensive record over the course of his 12-year career, posting a near-career high in defensive percentage last season with a .970, while recording only eight errors throughout his 139 games in 2025. It'd also be worth noting that even in the playoffs, Turner has always managed to hold down the fort at shortstop, with his only defensive mishaps in the Red Pinstripes coming during his first postseason in Philadelphia, where he recorded four errors. Other than that, Turner has been solid.

For now, Turner will have the second half of the season to show off the strides that Dombrowski feels he's been working hard at, and with the Phillies in the middle of a playoff push, it'll be more important than ever.

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