Phillies’ Edmundo Sosa showing he’s more than just a defender

‘Becoming an offensive force’: Sosa showing he has a bat, too originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

When the Phillies sent JoJo Romero to the Cardinals for infielder Edmundo Sosa at the trade deadline last season, it didn’t seem like a stop-the-presses item.

“Originally, it was the defense,” admitted manager Rob Thomson after the Phils came back to beat the last-place Rockies, 4-3, Friday night at a sold-out Citizens Bank Park.

Thomson added, though, that hitting coach Kevin Long saw something in Sosa that intrigued him. “Some stuff that might be able to help him with his offense,” the manager noted.

Leather and lumber…

After driving in the winning run with a two-out single against Colorado reliever Brad Hand in the bottom of the eighth, Sosa is now batting .343. He also helped take a hit away from Kris Bryant with some nifty glovework in the third and then went high in the air to snag C.J. Cron’s line drive in the ninth, helping snuff the Rockies’ hopes of rallying against Jose Alvarez.

“He’s gotten better at the plate,” Thomson said. “He’s staying back. He’s not chasing as much as he did when he first got here. He’s keeping his head still. And he’s becoming an offensive force.”

His decisive hit Friday night was a sinking line drive that Rockies left fielder Jurickson Profar came up just short of catching with a desperate lunge.

Said Sosa, through interpreter Diego Ettedgui: “It feels really good to contribute. I thought he was going to catch it. Profar is a very athletic player. He’s known for making plays like that.”

He always thought he could hit. “In the offseason, I trained really hard. I put in the work here with Kevin. I go to the cage. I know I have a pretty good defense but people need to know that Edmundo Sosa also has a bat.

“From Day 1 (Long), has taken a lot of interest in helping me. He’s put in the work with me and I’ve learned a lot from him.”

When asked about Sosa, Thomson almost always mentions his intangibles, especially the energy he brings. “He’s flying around the field. He has a lot of fun when he’s playing. He’s a quiet guy but, when he’s on the field, he’s electric,” he said.

Explained Sosa: “The way I learned how to play baseball in Panama is the way I play. You’ve got to bring energy every day. You’ve got to help your team, pump them up. Give your 100 percent every single day. So that’s the way I play.”