Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins has torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will need surgery, the team said Thursday night. The NL champion was carted off the field Thursday afternoon after sustaining a non-contact injury to his left knee when he set up a ground ball behind first base during a spring game against the Detroit Tigers.
While the Phillies have yet to announce a timeline for Hoskins’ recovery, the injury presumably means he will miss the entire 2023 season.
Here’s the injury. Hoskins went awkwardly and suddenly to the ground:
Hoskins, 30, is set to become a free agent after the season. He’s been a consistent midfielder throughout his career, and last season he averaged .246/.332/.462 with 33 doubles and 30 homers. The Phillies are already without Bryce Harper, who will miss the start of the season while he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
In Hoskins’ absence, the Phillies could push Alec Bohm to first base and push supply man Josh Harrison to third. Philadelphia could also put Darick Hall on first base, although his glove leaves a lot to be desired. That would open up the DH spot for Bohm, Nick Castellanos or Kyle Schwarber.
Miguel Sanó is the best bat-free agency available at this point if the Phillies decide to leave the organization to replace Hoskins. Luke Voit has an exit date in his minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers and could make sense for the Phillies.
The Phillies went 87-75 last season and won the National League pennant. Hoskins hit six home runs in the team’s 17 postseason games.