The Philadelphia Phillies' first-base situation has become even murkier. Darick Hall has undergone surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb, the team announced Wednesday. The Phillies says his timetable for a return is roughly two months.
Hall suffered the injury sliding into second base last week. Here's the play:
Hall had emerged as the Phillies' primary at first base because of the torn ACL suffered by Rhys Hoskins this spring. Hoskins, who hit 30 home runs in 2022, may miss the entire 2023 season. Hall was off to a slow start this season with a slash line of .222/.263/.278 through six games and 19 plate appearances, though he does offer considerable left-handed pop.
The 26-year-old Clemens does not profile as an adequate regular at the highest level, so at best he's a stop-gap solution should he emerge as a near-term presence in manager Rob Thomson's lineup. To cover for the Hoskins and Hall injuries, the Phillies have shifted third baseman Alec Bohm across the diamond and installed Edmundo Sosa at the hot corner.
Coming off a pennant-winning campaign in 2022, the Phillies in 2023 have faltered at the outset. They enter play Wednesday with a 4-7 record. They're presently in fourth place in the National League East and 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Braves.
