A struggling Philadelphia Phillies team might try to turn to the superstars in its strong lineup to get out of a rut, but what do you do when the superstar is also struggling?

In that case, you give them a day off to regroup, then wait patiently and hope they just flip a switch and come back big when the time is right. That’s exactly what’s happened to star shortstop Trea Turner over the last few games.

Before Thursday’s game against the Washington Nationals, Turner had made just 16 of 95 hits in his previous 22 games, hitting just two home runs and seven RBIs.

That night, he had his first three-hit game since July 9, setting the tone for the Phillies’ 13-3 win over the Nationals. On Friday, Turner had his first four-hit game of the season, including a walk-off single in the ninth inning that clinched the Phillies’ 3-2 victory.

Why was this so important to both Turner and the Phillies?

When the Phillies were in a major slump after the All-Star break, Turner suffered the same fate, making both of them difficult to watch at times. Whatever Turner did, it was certainly a far cry from the elite All-Star numbers he put up in the first half of the season, hamstring injury and all.

“I feel like I’m doing everything right,” Turner said after his walk-off win on Friday, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.

Here is the drastic difference between Turner’s numbers before and after the All-Star break through August 14:

His overall offensive performance had dropped off considerably, so much so that it was almost reminiscent of the extensive struggles he had in the first half of 2023. This can be a little concerning for both Turner and the Phillies, as they need their $300 million man to be one of their offensive leaders, producing consistently, for them to have any chance of success.

With his big breakout performance over the past two days, Turner appears to be turning around not only his own fortunes, but those of the Phillies as a whole. The timing couldn’t have been better, as Philadelphia had lost four of its last five games and 11 of its last 16 games before Thursday.

With these two important victories, they can now build on a solid three-game winning streak in the final weeks of the season.

As for Turner, hopefully this is just the beginning of what many will expect from him in the final stretch. The Phillies need all the help they can get if they want to still finish first in the NL East and enter the postseason with the best possible matchup.