Following injuries to both of their starting middle infielders, the Phillies recalled prospect Nick Maton to make his major-league debut on Tuesday. Didi Gregorius missed the entirety of the Giants’ series due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Jean Segura, meanwhile, has a strained right quadricep and has gone to the 10-day Injured List. To make things worse, three Phillies players also went onto the IL for COVID-19-related reasons.
While losing five players comes at an inopportune time for the Phillies, a window does open for Maton to prove his worth. Maton, 24, was drafted by the Phillies in the 7th round of the 2017 draft. A native of Chatham, IL, Maton is currently the Phillies’ 19th-ranked prospect per MLB.com. In 2019, Maton reached AA Reading and was on schedule to join AAA Lehigh Valley prior to Minor League Baseball’s COVID-19 shutdown in 2020.
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A Strong First Impression for Nick Maton
The young shortstop went 1-for-4 on Monday against the Giants as he tallied his first career hit. On Tuesday, Maton went 1-for-4 again, hitting an RBI-double to score Mickey Moniak in the bottom of the second. He also flashed some strong defensive abilities at shortstop as well.
Maton then hit the ground running in the series finale versus the Giants on Wednesday. Maton recorded three hits on the day, scoring his first career run on a Mickey Moniak three-run home run.
With an off-day on Thursday for the Phillies, Gregorius is likely to be ready to return to the lineup for the Phillies on Friday in Colorado. Given Gregorius’ history of Tommy John surgery, however, any elbow injury is alarmingly concerning.
Maton recording five hits in his first three professional games, however, bodes well for his chances to remain on the roster until Segura’s IL stint is over. Even then, the Phillies will likely call upon Maton sooner rather than later.
Photo Credit: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
