Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins has torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and will undergo surgery, the team announced Thursday night. The NL champion was carted off the field Thursday afternoon after suffering a non-contact left knee injury while fielding a ground ball behind first base during a spring game against the Detroit Tigers.
While the Phillies have not yet disclosed a timeline for Hoskins' recovery, the injury presumably means he'll miss the entire 2023 season.
Here is the injury. Hoskins went down awkwardly and suddenly:
Hoskins, 30, is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. He has been a steady middle of the order presence throughout his career, and last season he slashed .246/.332/.462 with 33 doubles and 30 home runs. The Phillies are already without Bryce Harper, who will miss the start of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
In Hoskins' absence, the Phillies could slide Alec Bohm over to first base and slot utility man Josh Harrison in at third. Philadelphia could also put Darick Hall at first base, though 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 has to offer at this point if the Phillies decide to go outside the organization to replace Hoskins. Luke Voit has an opt-out date coming up 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 slugged six home runs in the team's 17 postseason games.
