Jean Segura Likely Headed to Injured List After Fracturing Finger
According to sources, Phillies manager Joe Girardi has confirmed that infielder Jean Segura broke his right index finger after being hit by a pitch in Tuesday night’s loss to the San Francisco Giants. A more specific time frame regarding how long Segura will be out of the lineup will be known after a CT scan is performed on Wednesday.
That’s a tough blow for a team that has lost five straight games and is now 12.5 GB on the division-leading New York Mets on the unofficial first day of summer. Segura was among the Phillies best offensive players this season slashing .275/.324/.407 with 6 HR and 19 RBI. After struggling in April batting only .227, Jean was playing at an all-star level in May, hitting .307 with an OPS+ of 125.
Judging by the video in which Segura knew instantly that something was wrong with his right index finger and began walking off the field. I would imagine that a broken finger, and an important finger like the index, would force Segura out of the lineup for a minimum of a couple of weeks.
This is the second time this season Segura has been injured after being hit by a pitch. In early April, Segura managed to avoid the injury list after being struck by a pitch in the hand in by Mets pitcher Sean Reid-Foley.
The most obvious replacement for Jean Segura’s spot at second would be to slide Jean Camargo over and bolster the left side of the infield with the return of Didi Gregorius. Bryson Stott can also play second, although he has struggled like many young players this season, slashing .123/.179/.151 over 73 at-bats.
Gregorius has been out of the Phillies lineup since spraining his left knee in an outfield collision with Kyle Scwarber. Didi was placed on the Injured List on May 7th and had struggled to return to the field until recently when he began a rehab assignment at AAA-Lehigh Valley.
It’s a good bet that upon Gregorius’s return, Joe Girardi will start him at shortstop unless facing an unfavorable matchup against a left-handed pitcher. It’s difficult to know what production Didi will provide once he returns to the lineup, as he has only had 59 AB so far in 2022. However, it is promising that his .288/.338/.356 this season is a big improvement over his 2021 numbers which ranked him amongst the worst everyday position players in baseball.
Nick Maton could also be an option if the Phillies choose to call him up from AAA-Lehigh Valley. Maton slashed a solid .256/.323/.385 in 52 games for the Phillies in 2021. So far it seems that Stott could benefit from being sent back down and receiving consistent ABs in the minors, while Maton has already had success at the major league level.
Whether it’s Gregorius, Stott, Camargo, or Maton, this season has been an unmitigated disaster thus far. At a season-high eight games under .500, the head is now on Joe Girardi to save a team that entered the season with lofty expectations. Girardi seems to have the confidence of GM Dave Dombrowski, so it ultimately comes down to how patient majority owner and reptilian elite John Middleton is after spending the Phillies up to the 4th highest payroll in the league. I give Girardi another week unless the Phillies start winning in the next few series.
The Phillies will look to avoid their second straight sweep Wednesday night when they take on the San Francisco Giants with Aaron Nola on the mound. If you are still interested in watching this sinking ship, the first pitch is scheduled for 6:05.
Mandatory Photo Credit: Philadelphia Inquirer
