Last
week, Roman Quinn threw out three base runners in his first double-A
start in right field. Quinn jokingly said to Dusty Wathan, the Reading
manager, that the position remains his favorite. Two years ago, Quinn
decided to shift to center fielder from shortstop. Currently, he is still
in the process of learning the best tactics of playing left and right
fields even with the Phillies plan of adding flexibility to his game.
Since the rosters might expand come September, Quinn could head to the
majors. Even as baseball predictions take note of such changes, by now, the Phillies have two players contesting for the center position.
Wathan
expressed that having a player go up there without letting them play on
the left or right field is not acceptable. The 23-year-old Quinn
succumbed to a strained muscle injury in June just as soon as he had
begun to train for the corner outfield positions. He has missed a couple
of games in the fourth consecutive season thanks to recurrent injuries
and we are still waiting for him to play an entire season in the minor
league. Therefore, it is important for him to add some versatility
because he could turn out to be a fourth outfielder. According to Quinn,
he is comfortable playing in right and left field.
Undoubtedly,
Quinn has an exceptional talent when it comes to his speed, which he
effectively applies to change the dynamic of the game. Other batters
usually capitalize on his presence in the field, especially on the base
paths to help them see extra fastballs. However, Quinn’s durability is
wanting. He seemed frustrated when he talked about his many injuries,
including the strained muscle, torn hip flexor, torn Achilles, and a
broken wrist.
While executing a checked swing on June 4,
Quinn strained his oblique, and at the time, he was batting .288.
Something popped in the upper section of his rib cage, but he ignored it
as minor. He eventually realized he was not okay when started having
problems with his runs from first to third. Even though he resumed after
10 days, Quinn’s health had not restored, which made him miss out for
nearly two months. While attempting to beat out a bunt last June, Quinn
injured his left his, tearing the flexor, and at the time, he was
batting .306.
Wathan
said Quinn has missed approximately more than one year cumulatively due
to injuries. Everyone feels for him because he has struggled to keep
himself fit and healthy off the field with the hope that he will not
miss out anymore due to injuries. I hope that he will go through this
trying phase successfully and come out strong and better because Quinn
is still young and somewhat tight.
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