August 28, 2016
Ryan Lawrence/PhillyVoice
Phillies outfield prospect Roman Quinn, watching batting practice with J.P. Crawford during spring training, is almost certain to begin the 2017 season at Triple-A with the team's acquisition of Michael Saunders.
NEW YORK – About 140 miles west of Citi Field, arguably the most exciting player in the Phillies farm system was possibly putting the final preparations into being called up to the major leagues for the first time.
Roman Quinn, the former second round pick with dynamic speed and surprising pop from his 170-pound frame, had made eight starts in the last month in left and right field. The Phillies were adding diversity to the fleet-footed center fielder’s game, so if he was called up to the big leagues, Pete Mackanin would be able to put him anywhere in his outfield.
“More versatile,” Quinn said Thursday night before a game in Reading, a game he went on to homer for the third time in a four-game stretch. “It’s been fun, just learning how the ball moves out there, the different angles.”
Quinn is on the 40-man roster, and his big league tools made him a favorite to be called up at some point next month, when major league rosters expand. But on Saturday his kryptonite – durability – jumped up and caught him on the helmet on the base paths.
Quinn was placed on the 7-day disabled list on Sunday with a concussion. It’s uncertain when he’ll be cleared to rejoin Double-A Reading, let alone get back on the major league radar.
The 23-year-old Quinn is hitting .282 with a .359 OBP, 12 doubles, six home runs, and six triples in 70 games at Reading, while also going 29-for-37 in stolen base attempts.
Quinn’s talent is obvious. But so are his durability issues, which are hardly his fault.
When asked on Thursday night where he was looking to be in 2017, regardless of whether he received a big league call-up in September, Quinn basically said, “Off the disabled list.” In five full seasons since being selected with the 66th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Quinn has failed to play more than 88 games in any one season.
“My goal is to stay healthy, man, just to be honest with you,” Quinn said Thursday, two nights before having to exit a game with a concussion. “I have yet to play a full season, I have yet to get a full season of at-bats,which hurts, it hurts not to get a full season of at-bats, especially for me, since I’m switch hitting and still learning, still learning how to switch hit. But it’s all going to work out.”
Quinn had already missed most of June and all of July with Reading with an oblique injury.
“Oblique, hip flexor, Achilles, wrist,” he said. “I’ve had it all.”
