There may not be a hotter hitter in baseball right now than Sosa. He’s had at least two hits in all four of his starts this season and gave the Phillies some valuable insurance in the eighth inning of this one with a two-run double. Trea Turner’s brief absence opened the door for him to get a few starts at shortstop earlier this week, but Sosa drew the start at second base over Bryson Stott in this one against the left-handed Kyle Freeland. That’s interesting as Stott has been solid to start the season despite a dreadful 2024 campaign. It’s a situation to monitor as Sosa remains hot at the plate.

Sosa, who filled in for an injured Trea Turner (back) in a pair of weekend contests against the Nationals, was one of the few bright spots in this one as Nationals starter Mitchell Parker and a quartet of relievers held the Phillies to just one run on eight hits. The 29-year-old utility infielder has posted four hits in eight at-bats to open the season and should continue to play regularly against lefties.

Sosa is 6-for-21 this spring. The utilityman was an excellent part-timer last season, hitting .257/.313/.422 in 274 plate appearances for the Phillies, and he figures to get the bulk of the starts at second base against lefties this season. Bryson Stott started 30 times versus southpaws last year, but he just wasn’t any good in batting .223/.318/.277 against left-handers. Sosa came in at .284/.347/.514.

The 28-year-old infielder did a nice job for the Phillies in 2024, slashing .257/.313/.422 with seven homers, 31 RBI and seven stolen bases in 274 plate appearances while filling in admirably whenever needed. He would require a long-term injury someplace in the Phillies’ infield to gain relevancy from a fantasy perspective.