PHILADELPHIA — Edmundo Sosa has carved out a role in his five seasons in Philadelphia.
Since joining the Phillies during the 2022 campaign, Sosa has made a name for himself as a super sub, a short-side platoon player who can spark a lineup in short spurts. He’s filled in for starters during longer stretches to varying degrees of success, but he’s best suited as a part-time contributor who helps the team in tangible ways.
This year, however, Sosa has not been as productive. An infielder by trade, he’s spent more time in left field in 2026 with the Phillies short on righty-hitting outfielders. But he’s batting only .213 with five home runs and a .600 OPS in 56 games.
“It’s a tough role, honestly,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “And now he’s been adding outfield to the mix, so I think he’s been fine. To me, he’s probably pushed his value this year more than anything by being able to play both spots: the outfield and the infield. It’s a valuable guy.”
Sosa appeared in the outfield six times under former Phillies manager Rob Thomson with only one start over five years. But he’s played 21 games in left field with 17 starts at the position since Mattingly took over in April. Although it’s been an adjustment and taken work, Sosa agreed with Mattingly that it’s added to his utility.
“It’s a plus for me,” Sosa said Wednesday through a club interpeter. “That’s how I see it. So I just keep working. It’s not easy to do it, but I just keep working. It is what it is. We have to face it in the best way possible and just work every day tirelessly, work every single day on getting some reps on that end.”
The Phillies (56-47) have primarily used two sets of platoons over the past month; Sosa and center fielder Derek Hill have played against lefties, while rookies Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr. have gotten the playing time versus righties in center field and right field, respectively. Brandon Marsh has mostly been an everyday player, moving between left and right. But that could be changing soon.
Veteran outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, a right-handed hitter, was promoted to the roster from Triple-A on Tuesday, and he hit a home run in his first game with Philadelphia on Wednesday. Marsh was not in the lineup as the Phillies faced Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer. Mattingly indicated that he has at least been thinking about shielding Marsh from lefties more often due to the diminished quality of his recent at-bats.
Depending on how the team decides to approach Marsh’s opportunities against left-handers, De La Cruz’s presence could either leave Marsh on the bench more or give Sosa additional chances in the infield. Early in the year, Sosa platooned with Bryson Stott at second base. He has not played second since June 6, Stott’s most recent day off.
Regardless of the position, the Phillies could use more out of Sosa at the plate. It’s a hard job to play only a couple times a week, but it’s vital to the team. Sosa has proven capable of providing a boost in his part-time opportunities. This season, it’s been more of a struggle.
A free-swinging hitter throughout his entire Phillies tenure, Sosa has expanded the zone more than ever in 2026. He’s running a career-high 54.3% chase rate, a huge uptick from his already-lofty 42.6% mark. Aggressiveness is a part of his game, so the club can live with some level of chase. But Sosa’s at-bats have appeared less competitive this year. While he’s actually striking out less often than he did last season, he’s not doing as much damage as he swings at more balls.
“I think it’s no secret the pitching has been great this season overall,” Sosa said. “The league’s been really great on the pitching side this year. So we have to adjust to it as hitters. It’s not an excuse, right? But maybe a little more chase from me on that end. You just have to be ready to hit as a hitter. You have to be ready to hit. You can’t give away any pitches, because the quality of pitching is just tremendous at this point.”
Sosa went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, but Mattingly felt like he swung the bat well and hit some balls hard. He seems to still have confidence in the 30-year-old. If Sosa can be that source of energy — and a bit of right-handed pop — that the Phillies are used to, it could make a difference down the stretch.
“I’ve been here before,” Sosa said. “I’ve been in this position before, and I’ve succeeded at it. So we know how to face it. We know how to approach it.”
