Phillies' Hoskins carted off with torn ACL in left knee
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins was carted off the field during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Detroit Tigers with a torn ACL in his left knee, the club announced.
(Video source: MLB.com)
Hoskins will undergo surgery at an undetermined time.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Hoskins will get a second opinion, but the team expects the slugger to be out for the season, according to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dombrowski added that Darick Hall will get the majority of playing time at first base with Hoskins sidelined.
Meanwhile, manager Rob Thomson said he remains confident in his club's ability to deal with Hoskins' absence.
"No matter what happens with our club, you're going to have some injuries during the course of the year, and our club finds a way to pick up the pieces and move forward," Thomson said, according to MLB.com's Joey Johnston.
Outfielder Kyle Schwarber emphasized Hoskins' importance to the Phillies' lineup and highlighted how difficult he is to replace.
"That's a big piece of what we're doing, a big piece in this clubhouse," Schwarber said, according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb and Jayson Stark. "If that guy is going to miss time, it's a hard one to fill in."
Hoskins is the latest Phillies star to suffer an injury. The reigning National League champions are expected to begin the season without All-Star outfielder Bryce Harper and left-hander Ranger Suarez. Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter is also dealing with an elbow injury and won't begin a throwing program for at least another few weeks.
Hoskins has spent his entire six-year career with the Phillies and is scheduled to hit free agency at the conclusion of the season. The 30-year-old is a lifetime .242/.353/.492 hitter with 148 home runs and 405 RBIs across 667 games.
He was a key piece during Philadelphia's surprising run to the World Series last season. The slugger hit six home runs and knocked in 12 runs over 17 postseason appearances.
Hoskins was off to a hot start this spring, hitting .375 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 12 games.