Phillies' Franco given day off; swing is out of sync

Third baseman Maikel Franco was out of the Phillies starting lineup Friday night at Citizens Bank Park against the Miami Marlins, and it had nothing to do with a recent thumb injury

Manager Pete Mackanin said Franco needed a break because his swing was out of sync.

"The poor guy is scuffling," Mackanin said before the game. "He is swinging wild again."

A sore right thumb recently caused Franco to miss three full games and have just one plate appearance in two others.

He returned to the starting lineup Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the last four games he was 4 for 18 (.222) with seven strikeouts.

This is the first full big-league season for Franco, who turned 24 last month. Last season, he hit .280 with 14 home runs, 50 RBIs, 52 strikeouts, and an .840 on base plus slugging percentage in 335 plate appearances.

Franco entered the weekend hitting .246 this season with 22 home runs,

75 RBIs, a .714 OPS, and 98 strikeouts in 567 plate appearances. In 53 games since the All-Star Game he was batting .212 with a .562 OPS.

Mackanin said that Franco's recent struggles can't be blamed on his thumb. The Phillies manager said that Franco was simply trying to do too much. He also said Franco looks tired.

"That is why I gave him today off," Mackanin said. "Mentally it is a drain on you. You try to figure it out and [right now] nothing is working."

The Phillies announced that their top prospect, shortstop J.P. Crawford, had arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on his left knee to remove a loose body.

Crawford will rest four weeks and, according to the Phillies, have an otherwise normal offseason.

He is expected to be ready by spring training.

Crawford, who turns 22 in January, was the Phillies' first-round draft choice (No. 16 overall) in 2013.

He began this season at double-A Reading, where he hit .265 with three home runs, 13 RBIs, and a .787 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 166 plate appearances.

At triple-A Lehigh Valley, Crawford batted .244 with four home runs, 30 RBIs, and a .647 OPS in 385 plate appearances.

Since joining the Phillies after the playoffs ended for Reading, Roman Quinn, who might be the fastest player in the organization, is off to a quick start.

After his first five starts, he was batting .333 (6 for 18) with one stolen base. He also played all three outfield spots.

"When I was told I was coming up, it was a surreal moment," Quinn said. "The first couple of days were very busy and now it is starting to slow down."

Quinn started Friday in left field and batted second.

Righthander Jeremy Hellickson (11-9, 3.76 ERA) will make his 30th start Saturday against Marlins righthander Jose Urena (4-6, 4.89). It will be the third time Hellickson has made 30 starts, having done so in 2012 and 2013 with Tampa Bay.