Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins torn anterior cruciate ligament, may need surgery NBC10 Philadelphia

Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for torn anterior cruciate ligament originally appeared NBC Sports Philadelphia

An MRI on Thursday afternoon revealed news the Phillies didn’t want to hear: Rhys Hoskins has torn his left ACL and will need reconstructive surgery.

Hoskins injured his left knee returning to a grounder to first base in the second inning of Thursday’s spring training game. He fell to the ground after reaching the outfield grass, clutching his knee after a non-contact injury.

Hoskins wasn’t ruled out for the season, but a torn ACL usually takes about nine months for a baseball player’s standard recovery, so the player will have that much time.

This is a brutal blow for players and teams. This was Hoskins’ contract year. Instead of putting up big numbers before free agency, he rehabilitated a serious injury and entered free agency.

The Phillies are missing a player who played 156 games in 2022, hit 30 homers in the regular season, and hit another 6 in the playoffs. 794 OPS ranked him 11th among all first basemen.

They are also losing one of their leaders in Philly, who has the second longest tenure after Aaron Nola.

Nick Castellanos said, “Our hearts are so heavy for him because we know how important he is to this team, the clubhouse and the camaraderie.” I’d say it’s like a spokesperson and he’s the one who steps up and talks to the team whenever something needs to be addressed and he’s really good at all of that and we It’s really important for what you have.”

Bailey Falter called Hoskins mayor of Philadelphia. “In my eyes, he’s like Mr. Philly,” Folter said.

When a team with high expectations suffers an injury like this, it’s always possible to explore a trade, but the Phillies have a few internal options. slugged out 18 in just 142 plate appearances, replacing Bryce Harper as DH and shattering the ball in spring training. The Phillies can start the hole at first base against a right-handed pitcher, with Kyle Schwarber or the Castellanos acting as DH to start another left-hander like Jake Cave in the corner outfield. I made it.

Against lefties, the Phillies were able to start Edmund Sosa. One option is to shift Alec Bohm from third to first base and put the surefire Sosa on third base. Another is to play Sosa or Josh Harrison at first base.

If the Phillies seek outside help, the NL West could have some veteran right-handed hitters. Rockies first baseman CJ Kron will become a free agent after the season with a team going nowhere in 2023. Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker reportedly hung in Arizona at the trade deadline last summer, but he’s a free agent after 2024 and will cost more. He is finishing his career with his 36 home runs and his 94 RBIs.

Yuri Gurriel, the 38-year-old former Astros first baseman, may not be on the Marlins’ Opening Day roster and could be another right-handed option if he’s cut. 319 in his 2021 to win his AL batting title, but fell back big in his season as a regular last year. 347 batting average in 50 plate appearances in the playoffs on his way to the ring.