The Philadelphia Phillies lost another key cog to the starting lineup, as first baseman Rhys Hoskins tore his right ACL while fielding a ground ball in a spring training game on Thursday.
Hoskins will undergo reconstructive surgery, and the team did not say precisely how long he will be sidelined. Typically, such an injury requires about nine months of recovery, which would sideline Hoskins for the entire 2023 season.
On what appeared to be a relatively routine play backing up on a chopper, the ball popped out of his glove, and Hoskins immediately fell to the ground holding his left knee. He was down on the field for several minutes with teammates surrounding him before being taken off the field.
Hoskins will be a free agent at the end of the season. The 30-year-old belted 30 home runs last season and an additional six in the playoffs when the Phillies made a run to the World Series. Hoskins has 148 home runs in 667 career games and will become a free agent at the end of the season.
With Bryce Harper also out until perhaps the All-Star break, the Phillies took another big blow to their starting lineup. Nick Castellanos, who struggled to just 13 home runs after signing with the Phillies last season, will need to step it up to help pick up the slack.
The Phillies could look outside the organization for a first baseman to fill the void. They could also go with a combination of Darick Hall, who hit 5 home runs in 52 at-bats last season, and Alec Bohm, who hit 13 home runs last season and has been impressive this spring.
Other possible options to replace Hosking include a trade for the likes of Ji Man Choi (Pittsburgh Pirates), Christian Walker (Arizona Diamondbacks), Seth Brown (Oakland Athletics), Bobby Dalbec (Boston Red Sox), Garrett Cooper (Miami Marlins), and Miguel Sano.
