Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins underwent surgery to repair his torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on Thursday, or MLB's Opening Day, the team announced. The operation was performed by Dr. Steve Singleton in Fort Worth, Texas and carries with it a recovery timeline of seven to nine months, ensuring that he'll miss the entire season.
The NL champion was carted off the field last 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.
Phillies 1B Rhys Hoskins underwent an MRI today that revealed a left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear that will require surgery. The recommended surgery is an ACL reconstruction. Additional details regarding the surgery, including the date and surgeon, are to be determined.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 23, 2023
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 are expected to open the season with Darick Hall at the cold corner.
"I do feel comfortable to say that we like Darick Hall a lot," Dave Dombrowski told reporters on Friday. "We feel that he'll get the majority of the playing time at first base. ... We think he's ready to step up and be a big league player."
Should Hall falter or get injured himself, the Phillies could slide Alec Bohm over to first base and slot utility man Josh Harrison in at third. Hall's move opens 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.
