Gregorius comfortable hitting where needed

If Didi Gregorius was ever going to make it into a Phillies uniform, onto the field at Citizens Bank Park or into Joe Girardi’s lineup, there would be impediments.

There was a kidney disease that threatened his career at age 23, yet didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most powerful hitting shortstops of his generation.

There was Tommy John surgery at the age of 28, and a stunted season to follow.

There was free-agency. Then there was a 102-game delay to the start of his only season he is contracted to play with the Phillies.

So it was, given it all, that the $14 million shortstop is just content in mid-July of a yet-to-start season to do what has become, for him, the usual: Accept the straits … then hit with consistency. That means he will not stress over what

he cannot control, including his slot in the batting order.

Though he has been hitting third in intrasquad games, and did again Wednesday night, Gregorius knows that will grow complicated once the Phillies are not split into two teams. Already, Girardi has appointed Andrew McCutchen as his leadoff hitter. Jean Segura will likely hit high in the order. And Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins will be somewhere in the middle.

“It’s a pretty good lineup we’ve got,” Gregorius said. “For me, as long as I’m in the lineup, I really don’t care. I want to play every day, so it’s up to the manager or the people who make the lineup where they’re going to put me. If I’m in the lineup I don’t really care because I think it only matters in the first inning. It only matters the first time around.”

That theory will be particularly true with the National League using a designated hitter. Should Girardi make Adam Haseley, who had a double to lead off the game Wednesday and has been hitting with authority, as his regular centerfielder, the Phillies’ lineup will have nine power threats. Even Roman Quinn, the other centerfield option, has sneaky clout.

Gregorius, though, had three consecutive 20-plushomer seasons starting in 2016, is a known contact hitter, and would fit snugly somewhere in the middle of the order.

“I’m not sure yet where he will hit,” Girardi said. “We’ve got to see where we’re at at the end of this. I don’t want to stack lefthanders, so that’s something we’ll have to decide. We also have to see where other people are from a physical standpoint and if they’re ready to go.”

Wherever it is, the Phillies will be thankful that Gregorius is in the lineup at all. That’s because Gregorius was as close to any high-level Phillies player to consider opting out of the season amid virus caution.

“I do have a chronic kidney disease,” he said. “I still have it and it will be there for life. I had a really good conversation with the doctors here and they said I was one of the high-risk players and everything. They ask me every day what they can do to make it better for me, so there has been really good communication. We are trying to go through the guidelines and trying to do everything we can do to stay safe.

“So that’s why people see me walking around with a mask on and stuff. I am keeping myself safe, wearing a mask everywhere I go. So I’ve got to keep it on me all the time.”

If the mask has been an issue, it hasn’t shown in the summer camp, with Gregorius making multiple impressive defensive plays. He has been particularly comfortable sharing the left side of the infield with Segura, and insists his timing will be fine with second baseman Scott Kingery, a late camp arrival following a failed virus test.

While Gregorius was healthy enough after his elbow surgery to play 82 games for the Yankees last season, he says he has had no further repercussions.

“I’m good,” he said. “I’m ready to go.”

••• Leading off for a third consecutive night, Haseley, opened the Wednesday intrasquad game with a double into the right-center gap. Late to arrive to camp after a testing snafu, Haseley also had two hits Tuesday.

That doesn’t mean there is a robust battle for leadoff job, as McCutchen also has been leading off the splitsquad affairs.

“I’m just trying to get him some more at-bats because he was a little bit behind,” Girardi said. “I think our leadoff hitter would probably be McCutchen during the course of this season.”

Girardi, however, believes Haseley has some leadoff-hitter traits.

“I think eventually, in time, he could do it,” the manager said. “He’s a pretty patient hitter. But for now, it’s just to get him at-bats.”

After the game Wednesday, Girardi stressed that nothing has been decided about the centerfield job and that Quinn has been impressive, too.

•••

The battle for the No. 5 spot in the pitching rotation is just about over. Vince Velasquez saw to that by striking out six in four impressive innings Tuesday.

Adding a cutter to his repertoire has helped.

“I thought his cutter was good,” Girardi said. “It’s been a good pitch for him. He used both sides of the plate. I thought he wasn’t as sharp in the first inning as he was in the second, third and fourth. He was better as the game went on. He has looked really good in his last two outings.”

•••

NOTES » Aaron Nola will start the exhibition opener Saturday night at 6:05 in Washington ... Zach Eflin, recently stricken with back spasms, threw to high praise from Girardi Wednesday and will pitch a simulated game Saturday ... NBC Sports Philadelphia will televise the exhibition games against visiting Baltimore Sunday and from Yankee Stadium Monday. Both games will begin at 6:05 ... Hector Neris was late to report to camp, and even though he was on the virus list, said he had not tested positive. Girardi said the closer “looked pretty good,” in the intrasquad game ... Jake Arrieta and Nick Pivetta will each pitch four innings of a Thursday intrasquad game.