The Philadelphia Phillies announced Thursday that first baseman Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn left ACL.
“He will need to have surgery,” Phillies president Dave Dombrowski told reporters Friday. “I would be shocked if he doesn’t. And that will put him out … for the season. That’s what we’re planning.”
Dombrowski also noted that Hoskins would seek a second opinion about the injury.
Hoskins was carted off the field after suffering a non-contact injury during his team’s spring training game against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. He backed up as he attempted to field a high-bouncing ball off the bat of Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows in the top of the second inning. He fell in shallow right field as he attempted to field the ball.
Per Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, trainers and an EMS crew checked out Hoskins. Players went down in a knee around him, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. He was eventually carted off the field after medical personnel helped him.
The 30-year-old Hoskins posted 30 home runs, 79 RBI and a .794 OPS for the National League champion Phillies last year. He smacked four homers in five games during the team’s NL Championship Series win over the San Diego Padres.
Hoskins has played all six of his MLB seasons with the Phillies. He has a lifetime .846 OPS and a per-162 game average of 36 home runs and 98 RBI, per Baseball Reference.
Losing Hoskins is a bad blow for the Phillies on and off the field. John Stolnis of Hittin’ Season and The Good Phight explained Hoskins’ impact.
