While Philadelphia Phillies backup infielder Edmundo Sosa has been scuffling over the last handful of at-bats, the season numbers have been overwhelmingly positive. The infielder has hit .341 in a reserve role. It has been difficult to keep his bat out of the lineup despite the question of where to put the utility player's defense. Despite this concern, the early-season numbers demand that the Phillies continue to create more at-bats for the infielder.
This has been made more difficult by Bryson Stott's solid start and the team's investment in third baseman Alec Bohm. While the third baseman's struggles have been consistently frustrating, the Phillies are in no position to give up on the young infielder. If the team does opt to pivot, they want to be sure there is no chance of a turnaround and they have a clear upgrade lined up. While this makes sense, the team should still lessen Bohm's at-bats in the next weeks and see if Sosa's early-season hot streak can get back on track.
Phillies Backup Infielder Edmundo Sosa Has Earned More At-Bats With Early Performance
Sosa first joined the Phillies ahead of the 2023 season after an up-and-down tenure in St. Louis. The veteran carved out an important role, appearing in 194 games in the previous two seasons. Sosa's best trait is the ability to step into a myriad of roles and morph into whatever the Phillies are lacking. This season has been an early example of this with the infielder providing a needed offensive boost.
This production has been solid enough to demand that Philly find ways to put Sosa consistently into the lineup. If his bat continues to cool, regressing to career norms, then you can continue moving forward with your typical core, keeping Sosa in a reserve role.
With Philly needing offensive answers at the bottom of the lineup, it would be great to continue to find ways to get Sosa at-bats, even if this means having the utility player consistently playing different roles. No question, Sosa has earned extra at-bats with his encouraging early-season performance.