Typically upbeat Roman Quinn calls latest IL trip ‘very frustrating’

Roman Quinn was his usual very upbeat and positive self after the Philadelphia Phillies narrow victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday.

You couldn’t help but crack a smile when he called himself “a savage” for getting hit on the right hand while trying to bunt, staying in the game, singling and ultimately advancing two bases with a hand that required nine stitches after his departure shortly thereafter.

But there was a dark cloud that hung over Quinn’s postgame meeting with the media Tuesday: another looming stint on the injured list. Indeed, the Phillies placed the oft-injured 27-year-old on the IL Wednesday along with Matt Joyce, recalling Scott Kingery and Mickey Moniak. Quinn is an eternal optimist, but even he couldn’t entirely hide his disappointment with suffering another injury.

“It’s very frustrating just because I was starting to feel like I was getting in a rhythm – playing three consecutive games…finally getting my feet a little wet…and finally having some success,” Quinn said Tuesday evening, with his right index finger in a splint. “It’s frustrating, man, because I feel like every time where I get to the point where I’m finding a rhythm, something freakish like this happens and it throws me back even more. That’s the tough part about it.”

There’s no way to sugarcoat it – Quinn had a bad start to the 2021 season. In addition to some baserunning gaffes, he hit .083 in April, part of four different options that the Phillies tried in center field in April alone.

Still, there was some evidence that Quinn was starting to heat up. After posting three hits in his first 36 at-bats, Quinn had three hits in eight at-bats in May, two of which were triples. He also recorded his second outfield assist in the team’s Sunday Night Baseball loss to the New York Mets.

And then another injury happened.

It is true that in many ways this one may have been avoidable. Quinn attempted to bunt, but the ball never actually made contact with his bat, it hit his hand. Clearly, that’s not how you are taught to bunt.

That said, Quinn’s injury history, well, it simply isn’t fair. Quinn was less than a week removed from being activated from the COVID-IL, and this will be his sixth injury-related placement on the IL as a major leaguer. That doesn’t count the various injuries he dealt with in the minor leagues, including 2017, when his body prevented him from reaching the major league level at all.

Just on a human level, you have to feel for Quinn, who made his Major League debut in 2016, but has yet to play in more than 50 games with the Phillies in a single season. His teammates feel frustrated for him, and one of the most notable among them is hopeful that the laceration doesn’t keep him sidelined for too long.

“He’s a guy who plays hard, and things like that will happen. It was unfortunate tonight with the finger,” Aaron Nola said after his start Tuesday. “The guy is a solid player, especially when he gets on base. He causes trouble for other teams on the basepaths. Obviously, we all know his speed, [and] we know he’s turned around his hitting now. He’s a key player for us, and we just hope that he gets back soon and gets back all healthy quickly.”

The Nuggets

• The aforementioned Matt Joyce came in as a replacement for Brad Miller late in Tuesday’s win, and nearly hit a home run in his lone at-bat. Still, the 36-year-old has been dealing with some back problems, per Joe Girardi, and after “tweaking” his calf yesterday, the Phillies placed him on the IL. Joyce, who made the team as a non-roster invitee to spring training, has slashed .100/.289/.133 with seven walks in 2021.
• As Tom Housenick of The Morning Call noted, Jean Segura went 2-3 Tuesday in a rehab appearance for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The two-time All-Star could be nearing a return to the major leagues if there aren’t any setbacks. Segura will again play in Allentown Wednesday, with Girardi saying that the Phillies will “re-evaluate” after that.
• The update on Bryce Harper is less concrete, but Girardi did say that “he’s definitely making progress” as he battles back from a wrist contusion.
• According to Jon Heyman of Audacy Sports, the Phillies have signed veteran infielder Rubén Tejada to a minor-league deal. Perhaps best known for having his fibula broken on a hard slide by Chase Utley in Game 2 of the 2015 NLCS, Tejada has slashed .250/.324/.317 in parts of nine seasons spent primarily with the division-rival New York Mets. Tejada last played in the majors in 2019, appearing in six games during his second stint in Queens.

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