Edmundo Sosa will join the ranks of fellow infielders Trea Turner and Alec Bohm on the Injured list following his right groin sprain. The Phillies purchased the contract of infielder Rafael Lantigua from AAA Lehigh Valley to fill Sosa’s roster spot, making room for Lantigua by designating outfielder Brewer Hicklen for assignment.
Welcome to the show, Rafael
Lantigua has quietly put together a solid all-around season with Lehigh Valley. He’s hitting .232 with 15 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 56 RBI, 77 walks, 82 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases across 124 games. His patience at the plate stands out—he ranks third in the International League in walks and sits tied for fourth in runs scored.
Among IronPigs hitters, his .359 on-base percentage is fourth-best. In the field, Lantigua has shown versatility with 34 starts at third base, six at shortstop, and four in left field. He’s committed just one error in 96 total chances. A non-roster invitee to Phillies spring training earlier this year, he is set to make his major league debut just over nine years after the Toronto Blue Jays signed him as an international free agent.
Lantigua will wear No. 19 for the Phillies, most recently worn by Buddy Kennedy earlier this season.
Another one bites the dust
With Sosa down, the Phillies are looking a little thin on infielders for a team that just claimed the National League East title. Alec Bohm is close to returning from a short IL stint due to a cyst in his shoulder. He has been working out the last few days and travelled with the team to Los Angeles, likely to make his return in Arizona.
Trea Turner, meanwhile, is still recovering from a hamstring injury that will likely have him out for the remainder of the regular season. Despite being on the IL, Turner maintains the highest batting average in the National League (.305) and the fourth-highest overall.
The Phillies return to action for another late-night West Coast game as Phillies’ sensation Cristopher Sánchez faces off against Dodgers’ sensation Shohei Ohtani. This is the Phillies’ first time going against Ohtani as a pitcher.
