For the first time in his professional career, Phillies infielder Jean Segura played third base on Sunday afternoon in a Grapefruit League exhibition game against the Pirates. As MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes, Segura made five of seven plays at the hot corner.
Since the Phillies signed shortstop Didi Gregorius during the offseason, Segura had to shift to a new position. Second base and third base are both open, and the club will use spring training to determine which position Segura and Scott Kingery will play. Segura will primarily play third base in the first half of the spring training schedule. The hope is that he will stick there.
Segura said of playing third base on Sunday, “Ah, it felt good. It felt a little weird, but not too much. It felt OK. Not too bad. I was just rushing a little bit, trying to catch everything. I think the more I play there, the more I’ll get used to it.”
Segura, who is signed through at least 2022, had a disappointing season in his first year with the Phillies in 2019. He hit .280/.323/.420 with 12 home runs, 60 RBI, 79 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases across 618 plate appearances.
