Roman Quinn (left Achilles) out for season
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Somehow, some way, Roman Quinn still scored.
Quinn suffered a season-ending left Achilles injury trying to score in the fifth inning of Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field. He collapsed to the turf after he rounded third, but he got up and hopped the final few feet to home on his right leg. Quinn collapsed again, and minutes later, Phillies manager Joe Girardi and assistant athletic trainer Shawn Fcasni carried him off the field.
The Phillies placed Quinn on the 60-day injured list Sunday. They announced Monday that an MRI exam in Philadelphia confirmed a ruptured tendon. Quinn will have surgery later this week, and his recovery is expected to be nine to 12 months. The Phils selected the contract of outfielder Travis Jankowski from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his place on the roster.
“From the examination, there wasn’t anything that told us that he would be back [this season],” Girardi said Sunday.
It is fair to wonder if Quinn has played his final game for the Phillies. Teams shake up their 40-man roster every offseason, so it would not be surprising to see Philadelphia non-tender Quinn, who is out of options and will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time.
Quinn, 28, batted .173 with a .595 OPS in 28 games this season. He batted .375 (6-for-16) with a 1.132 OPS in seven games in May. He spent nearly three weeks on the 10-day injured list, however, because of a lacerated right index finger.
“He’s been playing well for us,” Girardi said. “He gets a freak injury with the stitches in his finger. And then he gets this. I feel for the kid. I really do. We’re going to miss him.”
Quinn has batted .228 with a .661 OPS in 512 plate appearances over parts of five seasons with the Phillies from 2016-21. Whether he remains with Philadelphia or not, he will play somewhere next year. Quinn is one of the fastest players in baseball. His sprint speed (30 feet per second) ranks fifth in the big leagues, according to Statcast. No outfielder has a stronger arm. He has the Majors' highest “max-effort” arm strength at 97.1 mph.
But while Quinn has shown flashes of his tremendous talents for stretches, he has never produced consistently at the big league level. He has spent time on the IL over his professional career with numerous injuries, including left oblique strains, groin strains, a sprained right middle finger, a concussion, a sprained left elbow, a strained left quadriceps and a fractured left wrist.
Quinn ruptured his right Achilles during offseason workouts following the 2013 season with Class A Lakewood. He returned to action in May 2014 with Class A Clearwater.
“This is a big one, and it’s unfortunate,” pitcher Zack Wheeler said. “I just so feel bad for Roman. He’s a great guy, and you just hate to see that.”
Jankowski, 29, attended Lancaster Catholic High School in Lancaster, Pa., which is about 90 minutes away from Citizens Bank Park. In six seasons with the Padres and Reds, he batted .238 with a .628 OPS.