Daniel Nava earns playing time at Michael Saunders' expense

BOSTON — Daniel Nava is something of a folk hero here, a former equipment manager on his college team who rose to the Red Sox and swung at the first pitch he ever saw in the majors — against the Phillies, a Joe Blanton fastball — to crush a grand slam. He celebrated the seven-year anniversary of his debut Monday by batting second and manning left field for the Phillies.

He could start each of the next three games, too.

Nava, 34, came to the Phillies on a minor-league contract. He has usurped Michael Saunders, a $9 million acquisition, in the outfield rotation. Saunders did not start Monday because he has the lowest on-base percentage in the National League and was a career 1 for 16 against Boston starter Rick Porcello.

The Red Sox will start three lefthanders in the next three days. Saunders tends to hit righties better than lefties.

"I'd like to get him out of it," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "Then with the three lefties coming up, there's a good chance I won't play him those three. But we need to get him on track."

So it's possible he sits for four straight days?

"Possible," Mackanin said. "I'm going to talk to him and see how he feels. I know he's frustrated."

It raises the question of why Saunders is still with the Phillies, but the front office is not yet ready to enact change. Saunders is hitless in his last 15 at-bats.

His fate, in a way, could be tied to that of Cesar Hernandez's. The Phillies did not provide an update on their injured second baseman, who underwent an MRI exam on his strained abdominal muscle Monday in Philadelphia. If Hernandez is absent for an extended time, the Phillies could seek a different solution than Howie Kendrick at second.

Mackanin had not spoken to his boss, general manager Matt Klentak, about the situation.

"Not yet," Mackanin said. "They're pretty preoccupied with the draft today. It hadn't come up."

The manager added: "We can't do a thing until we find out about Cesar. So I'm sure we'll talk about it."

There are options, if the Phillies are inclined to dip into the minors. Second baseman Scott Kingery has hit at double-A Reading. Nick Williams, on a hot streak at triple-A Lehigh Valley, could plug into the outfield if Kendrick stays at second base. Outfielder Cameron Perkins, not labeled as a prospect, has been a stable presence at triple A, with his on-base percentage topping .400.

But, for now, Nava is the solution. He started consecutive games for the first time since late April.

Roman Quinn will not have surgery to repair a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his left (non-throwing) elbow. The Phillies said he stands to miss four to six weeks with the injury; orthopedist James Andrews reviewed Quinn's case and concurred with the team's doctors that a non-surgical approach was best. … Ben Lively pitches Tuesday against Boston's $217 million lefty David Price.