Can Jean Segura’s Return Ignite the Phillies?

Phillies infielder Jean Segura has been activated off the Injured List and is in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Miami Marlins.

To make room on the roster, the Phillies sent pitcher Spencer Howard back to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Segura, a two-time All-Star, is hitting .332 with three home runs, 20 RBI, and six stolen bases this season. The 10-year MLB veteran had a strong start to the season but also had a nasty altercation with his manager Joe Girardi, though that seems to be a recurring thing for the Phillies manager this year.

The Phillies are 22-27 in Segura’s games overall this season, and just 4-7 since he went on the 10-Day IL with a left groin strain on June 16. Much of that can be traced back to the bullpen struggles, but Segura’s absence certainly hasn’t helped the Phillies, who are now in fourth place in the division.

The Phillies need Jean Segura to snap them out of this skid

Now in his third season with the Phillies, Segura has compiled a .287/.339/.429 slash line over 247 games in red pinstripes. He’s improved over last year, too; only five games away from his 2020 total, he has more hits and doubles in fewer at-bats and has struck out 29 times in 49 games, compared to 45 times in 54 games in 2020.

Hopefully, the IL stint didn’t hamper Segura’s prior hot streak. Before the injury, he was having an absolutely absurd time in the month of June, slashing .372/.426/.488 with a .914 OPS, three doubles, a triple, eight RBI, and four walks. He also reached on error twice and stole two bases during those 10 early June games, in which the Phillies went 6-4.

Segura is batting second in the lineup for Tuesday night’s game. Hopefully, his return sparks something on his team, because as one fan put it, “Philly sports is in shambles.”