The Phillies will be without second baseman Jean Segura for up to three months.
Segura, who broke his right index finger in Tuesday night’s game against San Francisco, learned of his fate after an exam Wednesday. The fracture, according to manager Joe Girardi, is “out of place” and will require surgery later this week.
An hour after Girardi announced the extent of Segura’s injury, the Phillies pulled designated hitter Bryce Harper from Wednesday night’s starting lineup with right forearm pain.
Harper hasn’t played on the court since April 16 due to a ligament tear in his right elbow.
Girardi was not immediately available to comment on Harper’s condition or how long the slugger would be out. He commented on Segura, who had an X-ray on Tuesday night and further tests on Wednesday.
“I don’t know if any of us expected this to be it,” Girardi said. “It’s a tough loss for us. I’m not going to water it down. Jean is an everyday player who is productive for us.
Segura was hurt when he tried to score for a hit with a runner-first and no out in the seventh inning of a 3-3 game Tuesday night. Segura made the decision to try bunting on his own, but his technique was poor. His index finger was exposed on the bat and absorbed a bone-crushing slider from Tyler Rogers.
“It hurts,” Girardi said. “He’s also a good defender. That’s the thing. We lose that part of it as well. He’s a guy who can steal bases from you. We lose that part too. I mean, Jean can do a lot of things.
The Phillies made a series of lineup moves before the game. In addition to placing Segura on the disabled list, they designated outfielder Roman Quinn for assignment. Infielder Nick Maton and left-handed pitcher Cristopher Sanchez were called up from Triple A. The team considered activating Didi Gregorius from IL, but decided he needed more bats in Lehigh Valley . Gregorius, who sat out with a sprained left knee, was scheduled to serve as DH for Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night. He could be ready to return to Philadelphia and the shortstop position in a few days.
Maton was scheduled to start at shortstop Wednesday night and Johan Camargo at second base. After Harper was scratched, Maton moved to second, Camargo to third, and Alec Bohm became the designated hitter.
Girardi said the Phils will try to fill second base internally with Camargo, Maton and Bryson Stott, although it’s possible someone could go to the minors when Gregorius returns. Scott Kingery is in Triple A, but he’s not on the 40-man roster and is hitting under .200.
With Segura out for such a long time, it’s hard to imagine president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld not trying to acquire a full-time second baseman.
“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Girardi said. “They are always looking to improve the club in every way possible. I’m sure they review everything.
Fuld confirmed it.
“We like the group we have in-house,” he said. “We are always on the lookout for potential opportunities that might make sense.”
In 44 games, Segura was batting .275, second in the club behind Harper’s .303, with six home runs, 19 RBIs and a .731 OPS.
“It’s tough,” Fuld said of the loss to Segura. “He’s a rock, as stable as it gets. I think sometimes we take for granted what he does every night on both sides of the ball. He’s a guy you can rely on. We’re going to miss him.
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