Philadelphia Phillies: Rhys Hoskins’ Status for NLCS Revealed

The Philadelphia Phillies are getting ready to face the Arizona Diamondback in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), and they gave an update on an injured star player. On Monday, the Phillies finalized their NLCS roster, and Rhys Hoskins did not make the cut, meaning he will not play in the series. Hoskins has been working his way back to the team after missing the entire regular season with a torn ACL. 

“He’s just not quite ready yet,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said, per MLB.com. “I talked to him. The trainers had talked to him. It’s really remarkable where he’s at, to tell you the truth. We’re still hoping for the World Series if we get there if we get over the hump and get to the point where he’s comfortable and we’re comfortable.”  

Thomson went on to say that Hoskins needs more at-bats. “His timing’s off a little bit,” Thomson added. “Although I’m shocked at where he’s at running, I’m just not comfortable with the way he’s running yet. But it’s close.” It’s possible Hoskins could make the World Series roster if the Phillies beat the Diamondbacks. And if that happens, he would likely be limited to pinch-hitting duties. 

Hoskins suffered the injury during a spring training game on March 23. He had surgery nearly a week later and was placed on the 60-day injury list. The injury happened two months after Hoskins signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Phillies to avoid salary arbitration. He has been with the team since 2017, and his best season was in 2018 when he hit 34 home runs and 96 RBIs. In 2022, Hoskins hit 30 home runs and 79 RBIs. And in the 2022 postseason, Hoskins tallied 11 hits, six home runs and 12 RBIS in 17 games. 

“I think there’s just a different confidence,” Hoskins said about the Phillies before the 2023 season began, per Phillies Nation. “At least in my career, I spent so much time in the ‘We hope. We hope. We think. We think we can get there. We feel like we have the players.’ I think we graduated to the ‘We know.’ Just that belief. I can feel that, at least relative to year’s past. That’s just a good place to be because so much of baseball is just confidence and belief in yourself.”