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12:55pm: The Phillies confirmed that Hoskins has suffered a left knee injury. They’ll provide further updates after Hoskins undergoes testing.
12:35pm: Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins was carted off the field just minutes ago following what looked to be a significant, non-contact knee injury during today’s Grapefruit League game against the Tigers (video link via FOX’s Ben Verlander). Hoskins was backtracking a short-hop grounder off the bat of Austin Meadows when he collapsed in obvious pain. He was tended to by the team’s training staff and EMTs before being helped off the field.
It’s a potentially brutal injury for a Phillies club that’ll already be without Bryce Harper for a significant portion of the 2023 season as the 2021 NL MVP recovers from Tommy John surgery. President of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski said yesterday that Harper won’t be placed on the 60-day IL for now, leaving open the possibility that he could return before May 29 this year. (Of course, the Phillies can retroactively transfer Harper to the 60-day IL any time they need a roster spot without further delaying his potential return.)
That’s two of the Phillies’ top power threats possibly sidelined for notable periods of the season. Hoskins put together the second 30-homer season of his career in 2022, batting .246/.332/.462 while chipping in 33 doubles and a pair of triples as well. He hit just .159 with a .205 on-base percentage during 69 postseason plate appearances, but the majority of the slugger’s hits were max-impact blows; he belted six home runs during postseason play, including a four-homer NLCS. Hoskins’ three-run blast and subsequent bat spike against Spencer Strider in the National League Division Series is one of the lasting images from Philadelphia’s remarkable postseason run in 2022.
If Hoskins is out for an extended period of time, the Phillies will likely turn first base over to 27-year-old Darick Hall, who made his big league debut in 2022 and hit .250/.282/.522 with nine homers in just 142 plate appearances. Hall has a productive minor league track record but is generally seen as a platoon player and displayed worrying strikeout (31.5%) and walk (3.5%) rates during last year’s debut. Speculatively, the Phils could give right-handed-hitting third baseman Alec Bohm reps at first base when facing lefty starters, with Edmundo Sosa or Josh Harrison sliding in at third base on those days.
From a personal vantage point, Hoskins’ injury comes at one of the worst possible times. He’s sitting on five-plus years of Major League service time and is slated to become a free agent for the first time in his career following the 2023 season. He’s the youngest and arguably best first baseman on next year’s market (depending on Josh Bell’s opt-out status). It’s a generally light market for position players next offseason, and Hoskins stands as one of the top power bats available.
More to come.
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