The Philadelphia Phillies' efforts to return to the World Series in 2023 got off to an inauspicious start when stalwart first baseman and slugger Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in spring training. Hoskins sustained the non-contact injury on March 23 while fielding a batted ball during an exhibition game against the Tigers.
Hoskins had to be carted off the field, and he soon after underwent surgery to repair the injury. The initial expectation was that Hoskins would miss the entire 2023 season, but on Monday Hoskins himself raised the possibility of returning in time for the postseason. Via Paul Cassella of MLB.com:
Though Hoskins was given a timetable of seven to nine months for a return to action, his sights are set on October.
"Yeah, in my mind, of course," he said. "I think every athlete's mindset is to beat whatever the doctor says. So, I'm going to continue with that."
Hoskins also has the benefit of looking just a few lockers to the left of his in the home clubhouse for inspiration.
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Hoskins has talked frequently over the past few weeks with (Kyle) Schwarber and others who have suffered similar injuries.
"I'm going to lean on those people, because they have experience with the next seven to nine months," Hoskins said before catching himself. "Well, six months … of what I should expect."
Hoskins is no doubt determined to get back ahead of schedule, but doing so will require the avoidance of any setbacks and probably a bit of good luck. No doubt, Hoskins is an important part of the team. The 30-year-old, who's in his walk year, boasts a career OPS+ of 125, and in his most recent seasons he's been roughly in line with those career norms. Power and patience are Hoskins' leading skills, and for his career he's averaged 36 home runs, 36 doubles, and 98 walks per 162 games played. That kind of production is hard to replace.
As for the Phillies' bid to get back to October, it's off to a slow start. They enter Tuesday night's contest against the Marlins with a 4-6 record and in third place in the NL East.
