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Top prospect Roman Quinn struggling at Lakewood

Roman Quinn, in his first full season of professional baseball, is experiencing some early-season growing pains. The 19-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop entered play Saturday hitting .202 with a .269 on-base percentage at low-A Lakewood and had just three hits in his last 30 at-bats. Manager Mickey Morandini met with Quinn in his office after Lakewood's most recent road trip, but has no concerns about the player's future.

Roman Quinn. (Photo by Curt Hudson)
Roman Quinn. (Photo by Curt Hudson)Read more

Roman Quinn, in his first full season of professional baseball, is experiencing some early-season growing pains.

The 19-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop entered play Saturday hitting .202 with a .269 on-base percentage at low-A Lakewood and had just three hits in his last 30 at-bats. Manager Mickey Morandini met with Quinn in his office after Lakewood's most recent road trip, but has no concerns about the player's future.

"No, there are no worries," Morandini said. "He's still learning to hit lefthanded. My God, he probably has 400 at-bats lefthanded, and anybody who does something only 400 times in this game, it's not going to be enough to tell you what he's going to be."

Morandini said Quinn's biggest issue at the moment is pitch selection.

"Right now, he's swinging at some pitches up in the zone, causing him to hit the ball up in the air a little too much," Morandini said. "He's still learning the strike zone."

Strong April for Garner

Perci Garner, a second-round pick in 2010, is back at single-A Clearwater after going 7-9 with a 4.84 ERA for the Threshers last season. The 24-year-old righthander appears to have grown significantly, posting a 2-0 record and 2.31 ERA in his six April starts.

"Perci is probably a year or two behind most guys his age because he was a two-sport guy," Phillies director of player development Joe Jordan said of the pitcher, who also played quarterback at Ball State University. "So he never fully concentrated on baseball. His stuff is a lot better this year. There is a lot more power to it and he's starting to learn the art of pitching. He's throwing 95 with a lot of life on his breaking ball."

Perkins skips a level

Cameron Perkins, a sixth-round pick last year out of Purdue University, went into Saturday hitting .368 with two home runs and 18 RBIs at single-A Clearwater. He played last season at short-season Williamsport and the Phillies decided the 22-year-old righthanded- hitting outfielder was ready to bypass Lakewood.

"He's a very good hitter," Jordan said. "We decided to put him on the Clearwater club at the last minute and he has rolled with it. He can get the barrel on the ball in different parts of the strike zone. He can play left field and right field. We'll move him and Kelly Dugan back and forth."

Extra bases

Centerfielder Tyson Gillies was demoted from triple-A Lehigh Valley to double-A Reading. He was hitting .148 (9 for 61). . . . Clearwater righthander Ken Giles, after two appearances, returned to the disabled list with a rib injury. . . . Righthander Brody Colvin has returned from a groin injury and is 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA at double-A Reading.