Phillies manager Gabe Kapler benches Maikel Franco over lack of hustle, groin injury

Maikel Franco was conspicuous in his absence from the Phillies' lineup Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But was he injured or benched?

“I think it’s taking all things into consideration,” said manager Gabe Kapler, who has declined to bench other players, including shortstop Jean Segura, for a lack of hustle. “I wouldn’t classify it as one or another. He’s not in the lineup because he was not able to get down the line effectively last night.”

To recap: Franco didn’t run hard on a bases-loaded grounder to third base that ended the third inning Monday night, the latest in a handful of plays over the last six weeks in which a Phillies player hasn’t gone full speed. Later, Franco reported tightness in his groin, a possible explanation for why he slowed up.

Regardless, Kapler met with Franco on Tuesday and queued up video of the play, as he did with Segura when he didn’t run hard out of the box during a game in Washington last month. Franco “took responsibility immediately,” according to Kapler, who added that the third baseman told him he “had a hard time sleeping last night over it.”

"He said he was ready to play today, and I said, 'I still can't put you in the lineup today because if you're not able to give us 100-percent effort down the line in that situation last night, it's not right for me to start you today,'" Kapler said. "He understood that and accepted full responsibility for it."

Franco was taking swings in the batting cage before Tuesday night's game and wasn't available for comment.

Segura didn't get benched for a pair of notable hustling transgressions in June. Several other players, including Cesar Hernandez and Rhys Hoskins, also have been guilty of not always running hard.

Kapler has repeatedly classified such lapses as "unacceptable" and addressed the team during the series in Washington last month. He even worked with the staff to create a video of current and former players -- Chase Utley, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuna Jr., to name three -- who habitually hustle even on routine grounders.

Franco, who has lost playing time for performance reasons over the last two seasons, is the first player to be removed from the lineup by Kapler after an incidence of not hustling. Kapler reiterated that it wasn’t meant explicitly as punishment. But he also noted that different players respond differently to situations, including being benched.

“I think you guys know that these decisions or me taking a player out of the lineup in a punitive way is not my natural way of handling these type of situations,” Kapler said. “In this particular situation, I felt it was critical to address right after some of the other incidents we’ve had. We have to do a better job, so I thought this was the right time to make a change in this situation.”

Segura also wasn’t in the lineup after sustaining a bruised left heel in Monday night’s 16-2 loss to the Dodgers. Kapler said the Phillies “aren’t concerned about long-term implications.” It’s possible that Segura could return as soon as Wednesday.

With Segura and Franco out, Scott Kingery moved to shortstop and Brad Miller played third base. Adam Haseley started in center field.

Right-hander Edubray Ramos became the latest Phillies reliever to return to the injured list. Ramos, who missed time earlier this season with biceps tendinitis, has been diagnosed with a right shoulder impingement. Lefty reliever Austin Davis was called up to take his place. ... Veteran reliever Juan Nicasio was reinstated from the injured list after missing 12 days with a left groin strain. Right-hander Yacksel Rios was optioned to triple-A. ... Nick Pivetta (4-4, 5.81 ERA) will start Wednesday night against Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda (7-6, 3.82).