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Phillies add Al...

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“We want to make sure that we’re taking our time and we’re not rushing him back,” Thomson said. “It just wasn’t progressing as quickly as we thought. So, we’ll do the right thing and make sure he’s good to go.”

Bohm, 28, injured his hand on a swing in the first inning Aug. 29 against the Braves. At first, it appeared that he might have damaged the hamate bone. But diagnostic testing ruled out broken bones, torn tendons, and other potential structural damage.

The Phillies have characterized the injury as a “strain.” Regardless, it interrupted a breakout season in which he’s batting .290 with 13 homers and an .804 OPS and leading the majors with 44 doubles. Bohm played in the All-Star Game in July and competed in the Home Run Derby.

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“Nobody wants to not be able to play,” Bohm said before the Phillies continued their series against the Marlins. “I don’t want to be hurting everybody and not be able to play, and now we’re a man light on the bench in case god forbid something crazy happens and we’re out of guys. It’s obviously not what you want.

“Just at the end of the day, get healthy for the home stretch.”

In 2021, Bohm endured a similar injury after he was demoted to triple A. He was unable to swing a bat without pain for more than a week. It took 16 days before he returned to the lineup for Lehigh Valley.

Based on that timeline, Bohm would return next weekend.

“It kind of got to a point where I wasn’t able to swing,” Bohm said. “Obviously they can’t DH for me in the field, so I’m pretty useless at that point until I can hit. Once we got to that point where I still wasn’t able to swing, we kind of just figured it’s going to be around that same time [as in 2021]. No harm, no foul. Just be ready to be back for the Mets series.”

Sans Bohm, the Phillies have used Edmundo Sosa, Weston Wilson, and lefty-hitting Kody Clemens at third base. Clemens started his third consecutive game Friday night against Marlins righty Edward Cabrera. Although the Phillies will face two more righties in this series, Thomson suggested he would use Sosa or Wilson on Saturday.

Kennedy, a native of Millville, N.J., could be an option, too, though he might be more of a bench option. The Phillies acquired him from the Tigers in June. He’s batting .295 with 10 homers and a .910 OPS at Lehigh Valley.

When Alec Bohm swings a bat lately, it feels like ... well, let him explain it in his own words.

“Like someone’s got a hammer,” he said, “and when I swing, they hit my hand with a hammer.”

It has been that way for eight days, with only minimal improvement. So, rather than continuing to play with a shorthanded bench, the Phillies finally put Bohm on the 10-day injured list Friday with a strained left hand and recalled infielder Buddy Kennedy from triple-A Lehigh Valley.

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The move is retroactive to Tuesday (Bohm hasn’t played since Aug. 29, but injured list placements can’t be backdated more than three days), leaving the third baseman eligible to return on Sept. 13 at home against the Mets.

But that may be wishful thinking.

“It’s probably going to be longer than that,” said manager Rob Thomson, noting that Bohm will need to go through a hitting progression that could include a brief triple-A assignment.

Initially, the Phillies thought Bohm would be able to return this weekend and resisted taking him off the active roster. But after he tested his hand Thursday by taking swings in the cage without hitting a ball, a trip to the injured list began to seem unavoidable.