Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Quinn may be looking at lengthy recovery
PHILADELPHIA >> As Roman Quinn sat in front of his locker Friday night, he was not sure when his offseason would begin.
He seemed certain, though, that it would be a long one.
Before resting for his third consecutive game with an oblique injury, Quinn said he was unlikely to participate in any winter baseball.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “But I think I will take the winter off and come back rested and ready.”
Quinn was hitting .263 with four doubles in 15 games since joining the Phillies as a September call-up. He was not ready to rule himself out of the entire weekend series against the New York Mets.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I feel all right. I will try to play through it. But I am not sure. It is still tight and sore.”
Pete Mackanin was not ready to officially scratch Quinn for the season, although there was no overwhelming urge to allow one of the franchise’s top prospects to risk further injury.
“He’s a possibility,” Mackanin said, before Friday’s 5-1 loss. “But I doubt it at this point.”
Quinn, 23, was immediately impressive with the Phillies, collecting six hits, including three doubles, in his first four games and showing striking speed. But was that enough to plant him in the Phillies’ 2017 plans?
“I’m not sure,” Quinn said. “All I can say is I enjoyed it here and I went out and tried to play hard for them.”
••• With the Mets in a race for a wildcard playoff spot, Mackanin knew the unwritten rule. That’s why he started a veteran lineup… one that may have revealed what he considered to be his most potent batting order.
That included Jimmy Paredes and Aaron Altherr at the corner outfield spots. It also had Ryan Howard at first base, but only partially to give fans a chance to see him in what almost certainly will be his last series as a Phillie.
With the Mets starting righthander Robert Gsellman, Howard likely would have started anyway.
“I put as much offense as I could in there,” Mackanin said. “And Howard is swinging the bat well, so he’s in the lineup. That’s the best we have, yeah.”
Howard received a standing ovation from the crowd of 20,556 before each of his at-bats. He was 1 for 4 with a second-inning double off the center field fence.
••• The Phils’ losing streak reached five… and Mackanin’s patience reached its limit. So with one out in the eighth, the Phils’ manager was ejected for the first time this season.
Mackanin had just seen Yoenis Cespedes check his swing yet let go of a bat that went swirling. First base umpire Will Little did not approve the Phillies’ appeal and ruled the pitch a ball.
As Mackanin came out to argue, Little put up his hand in a stop-sign motion. When Mackanin continued, he was gone.
“I had to get thrown out there,” Mackanin said. “I told the umpire that I can’t believe when the bat goes forward like that that he didn’t swing. If he would’ve hung onto it, he probably would’ve broken his wrist. I thought he made the wrong call. I felt like I had to get thrown out, knowing I would be going out there. It was just frustrating.”
••• Alec Asher made his fifth start of the season, going six innings and allowing three runs, striking out four and walking none. He allowed three or fewer runs in each start.
Last season, he was 0-6. But he added a two-seam fastball and some confidence.
“The main thing was just to come up here with a second chance and pitch like I know I should,” he said. “To come back and do this, it feels great.”
••• NOTES >> Freddy Galvis left for pinchhitter Andres Blanco in the seventh, reporting tightness in his hamstring … The originally scheduled 7 o’clock Saturday night game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon, for TV purposes. Phil Klein (0-1, 8.22 ERA) will oppose Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon (14-8. 3.42).