Phillies considering Nick Maton as a possible solution in center field

The Phillies have a wrist watch on their hands, and it’s a lot more expensive than a Rolex or any other high-end timepiece you’ll find at your local jewelry store. The wrist, as you probably know, belongs to right fielder Bryce Harper and the watch continued Tuesday as the $330 million right fielder sat out for the fifth time in six games as the Phillies played the second game of their four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park.

“I don’t really have any update [on Harper],” manager Joe Girardi said Tuesday afternoon. “We’ll go through the day and see how he is. He’s not in the lineup today, but hopefully he continues to get better each day and we get him out there soon.“

» READ MORE: Phillies and Brewers present contrast in offseason roster-building strategies | Scott Lauber

While the absence of Harper’s bat from the starting lineup is a major drag on the offense, Girardi is hopeful that he’ll get one of his starters back soon. Second baseman Jean Segura was scheduled to start a rehab assignment Tuesday night at triple-A Lehigh Valley, where the IronPigs were playing their season opener against Rochester. Reserve infielder Ronald Torreyes also started a rehab assignment with the IronPigs.

Segura, out since April 20 with a strained right quadriceps, was in the midst of a hot streak when he landed on the injured list, raising his batting average from .217 to .333 with the help of a 10-game hitting streak that ended the day he was hurt. Girardi hopes Segura’s rehab assignment will be brief.

The Phillies were able to survive Segura’s absence in large part because rookie Nick Maton has filled in so well both offensively and defensively at second base. After playing three games at shortstop for an injured Didi Gregorius, Maton moved over to second base April 21 and he has started nine of the 11 games at that position during Segura’s absence.

Maton was hitting .327 (16-for-49) with five doubles and a .794 OPS going into Tuesday night’s game against the Brewers, and he also had played error-free defense in his 14 starts, five at shortstop and nine at second base.

So what do you do with a player who has performed so well on a team that could definitely use his continued offensive help? Did someone say put him in center field?

The subject was first raised last week and had a little traction, but it has gained momentum as the rookie has continued to hit while the center-field situation remains a problem. Maton’s 16 hits before Tuesday’s game were two more than the Phillies have gotten from the center-field quartet of Adam Haseley, Roman Quinn, Mickey Moniak, and Odubel Herrera this season.

“That’s something that has been talked about a little bit,” Girardi said when asked about moving Maton to center field when Segura returns. “We have had him take fly balls to increase his availability to us.”

Quinn, after tripling in his second straight game during the Phillies’ Monday night win over Milwaukee, was back in the starting lineup in center field Tuesday while Brad Miller got the start in right field in place of Harper after Herrera played there Monday.

Maton’s hot bat would certainly be welcome in center field, but the Phillies cannot be sure how the rookie would handle a position he has never played. Maton, in fact, has never played any outfield position, and center field is by far the most difficult in terms of ground coverage.

Girardi was asked if the Phillies have also discussed sending Maton to Lehigh Valley to let him work on his center-field play.

“I don’t ever talk about moves until they happen because there are a lot of things that could happen between now and whenever that date is,” the manager said. “Now you start talking about are you going to send this kid down or that kid down and they kind of go in a funk for three or four days just because they’re thinking about going down.”

Girardi said there is another way to do it.

“You can put him out there,” he said. “That’s one way of finding out.”

Any chance of that happening?

“I don’t know. We’ll see,” the manager said.