LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 08: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during batting practice prior to Game Three of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
Going into this season, the Philadelphia Phillies knew just how important the cleanup spot would be to their success.
In February, franchise slugger Bryce Harper underscored the need for more production from that role as the team prepared to return with him, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner virtually locked into the first three spots in the batting order.
“I think it’s a huge impact in the four spot,” Harper said, per Cole Weintraub of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think the numbers in the four spot weren’t very good last year either for our whole team. So… whoever is in that spot is going to have a big job to do."
In 2025, the team was hoping that third baseman Alec Bohm could seize the cleanup spot and offer some key protection for Harper. But he struggled to meet expectations and the team acquired outfielder Adolis Garcia as another potential cleanup option.
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On Tuesday, in a sign of just how concerning the team’s offensive slump has become, neither of those options was slotted into the cleanup spot to take on the Chicago Cubs. Instead, manager Rob Thomson went with Felix Reyes, who had appeared in just one major-league game in his career up to that point.
While the Phillies would like to utilize Bohm as the kind of cleanup hitter who can help the top of the lineup, his poor start to this season is making that impossible. After another hitless game on Tuesday, Bohm made some concerning history.
“Alec Bohm went 0 for 3 tonight,” MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reported. “His .384 OPS is the lowest in the Phillies' first 23 games (minimum 75 plate appearances) in the live ball era (since 1920).”
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While he acknowledged the team’s lack of an impactful No. 4 hitter, Dombrowski sent an optimistic message about Bohm potentially winning the role back.
“You really don’t have a No. 4 hitter at this time,” Dombrowski said during a radio appearance with Phillies broadcaster Gregg Murphy, according to Destiny Lugardo of Phillies Nation. “Maybe some other guys will. Maybe Bohmer will step back up.”
As the Phillies struggle to manufacture runs, Bohm might have as good a chance as anyone else on the roster to bat cleanup if he can turn things around. But after setting a new century-long record for the team in the first 23 games, it doesn’t seem like Dombrowski should count on it.
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