Philly Leader

In a lighthearted moment during the Grapefruit League game at TD Ballpark, Trea Turner accepted a challenge to confront Max Scherzer's first pitch. It was suggested by Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott that Turner should initiate the challenge, and Turner obliged. "That's a great idea," Turner remarked. "I'll do that."

Turner acknowledged that no one expected him to follow through. "Nobody believed I was going to do it," he said. "So I said, 'Why not? I don't care.'"

Scherzer had previously expressed skepticism about Major League Baseball's ABS challenge system with his comment, “Can’t we just be judged by humans?” This prompted Turner to playfully provoke his former Nationals teammate.

"I was hoping the pitch would be right down the middle," Turner admitted. Although it wasn't directly over the plate, it was an apparent strike, prompting Turner to challenge nonetheless.

Initially puzzled, Scherzer eventually found humor in the situation. "I don’t think he realized that I challenged it," Turner noted. "And then we were just laughing." Despite losing the challenge, both players enjoyed the interaction. Scherzer commented on their camaraderie: “Trea and I, we’re good friends, so we’ll have a laugh.”

Phillies manager Rob Thomson took a more serious stance on challenges during games, emphasizing their importance for players trying to secure spots on the team roster.

During Turner's at-bat against Scherzer, which ended in a pop-out to second base, both exchanged words unrelated to the challenge itself.

Meanwhile, Scherzer engaged in his own pregame antics by requesting Stott’s walk-up song “A-OK” be played before his at-bats. Stott has historically performed well against Scherzer and commented on this playful gesture: “Yeah,” Stott said. “I hit him good, so he wanted to make me feel good.”

The event showcased the friendly rivalry between these athletes as they prepared for another baseball season.

MLB.com Blue Jays reporter Keegan Matheson contributed to this story.