Phillies manager makes stance clear on Alec Bohm amid declining performance
The Philadelphia Phillies have gotten off to a strong start this season, but third baseman Alec Bohm hasn’t shared in the success. His ongoing struggles at the plate have raised questions about his spot in the lineup, and recent changes suggest the team is starting to respond.
In Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park, Bohm was dropped to seventh in the batting order. This shift followed a rough performance the night before, when he went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts. Over his last 18 plate appearances against the Dodgers and Braves, Bohm has just one hit, underscoring a worrying slump.
Despite the recent downturn, Phillies manager Rob Thomson continues to support Bohm. Speaking to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Thomson expressed confidence that the former All-Star will bounce back.
“He’s thinking about it,” Thomson said. “But he’ll get out of it. I mean, this guy was the All-Star third baseman last year in the National League. So I’m not gonna pull the chute on him yet, despite what everybody says.”
Thomson acknowledged the frustration Bohm is likely feeling, but pointed out that the 27-year-old has improved his emotional control compared to last year: “He’s an emotional guy, just like [Bryce] Harper. But he’s not losing it as much or as harsh as he did last year.”
A deeper look at Bohm’s performance shows that his issues at the plate began late last season. After returning from a hand injury in September, his production dropped off, and he was even benched during one of the Phillies’ NLDS games against the Mets.
Thomson’s willingness to stick with Bohm might stem from past experiences, particularly with outfielder Nick Castellanos. Last season, Castellanos had a similarly slow start, batting just .168 with a .428 OPS through the first 12 games. Rather than make a change, Thomson showed patience—and it paid off. Castellanos rebounded strongly, finishing the year with a .254 average, 154 hits, 23 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 80 runs scored across 162 games.
For now, Thomson is applying that same approach to Bohm. But unless the third baseman finds a way out of his slump, the pressure to make a lineup change could become unavoidable. His current stats—a .178 average with no home runs, three RBIs, and a .396 OPS—leave little margin for error moving forward.
