Surging Quinn slowed by ‘stretched’ groin
PHILADELPHIA >> For most of the last four years, through injuries and flashes, through more injuries and more chances, the Phillies have been waiting for what they have enjoyed in the past three weeks.
At last, Roman Quinn had arrived.
Ever speedy, always touted, rarely healthy and too often inconsistent, Quinn has been central to the mini-resurgence of the Phillies that continued with an 8-4 victory Friday night over the San Diego Padres.
In the 19 games prior to the Phillies’ fourth consecutive victory, Quinn was hitting .340 with two doubles, a triple, three homers, eight RBIs, seven walks and four stolen bases. His 439-foot, third-inning home run into the right field audience continued the surge.
“We said it as far back as last year,” Gabe Kapler said. “He is so dynamic. He is so game-changing that when he’s where needs to be, it’s really hard to not have him in the lineup.”
A right oblique strain, one in a series of career-diluting injuries, kept Quinn inactive from March 28 through April 18. After that, he sputtered, finishing a 3-for-26 April. After a trip to the minors, Quinn eventually was returned to the Phillies, who were desperate for outfield depth after the loss of Andrew McCutchen to a season-ending knee injury and Odubel Herrera to a season-long suspension.
Only lately has he been playing regularly and has been doing more than enough to keep it that way … as long as he remains injury-free.
That was thrown into more question late Friday when Quinn appeared to come up limping after an eighth-inning sprint to first base, causing him to be pulled from the game. Afterward, Kapler reported “right groin tightness.”
After undergoing treatment, Quinn said he “stretched it,” and would wait until the morning for further evaluation.
“For me it requires a lot of discipline to not have him in the lineup knowing that we have to try to figure out ways to keep him healthy as well,” Kapler said. “One of the things we’ve learned about Roman is we can’t just run him out there every day and just pencil him into the lineup. We have to constantly be talking to him. We have to probably be disciplined about getting him more days off than other guys.”
In August, Quinn had been hitting .382 before Friday, with two home runs and a .462 on-base percentage. That, he had done while patrolling center field with his legendary speed.
“I think it’s simpler than making some kind of adjustment,” Kapler said. “He’s had a little bit of success. I think that success has led to a little bit of confidence and swagger. And that has led to allowing his athletic ability to come out.”
As his hitting has improved, Quinn’s defense has dazzled. In the eighth Friday, he hustled to his right to intercept a Josh Naylor hit destined for the left-center fence, then threw to second to catch Naylor off base for the final out of the inning.
The Phillies have encouraged Quinn to take advantage of his speed.
“One of the things that we are trying to illuminate for Roman is when he does attempt bunts, he has a ridiculously high batting average,” Kapler said. “It was little bit ago, maybe 10 days, maybe less, but he had something like a .700 batting average on bunts from the right side, and it was something pretty crazy on the left side as well. So we’re just reminding him of that, because he is going to go through stretches where three or four bunts in a row, he’s out. And they are always going to be bangbang. And they are almost always going to be hits.”
Quinn went 1-for-4 Friday, scoring on his home run.