The Philadelphia Phillies already have one major injury-related hole in their lineup to open the season, and now they might have another one to worry about.
First baseman Rhys Hoskins had to be carted off the field on Thursday after suffering a non-contact injury trying to field a ground ball in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers.
That looks bad.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson was interviewed during the game broadcast and did not have an immediate update, only to say that Hoskins was walking around the locker room after being examined by team trainers.
That certainly seems at least somewhat encouraging, but the visual of Hoskins going down and needing carted off was not as promising.
He made a similar comment after the game and again had no update.
Hoskins is a big part of a powerful Phillies lineup that went to the World Series a year ago. He hit 30 home runs with a .794 OPS during the 2022 season.
It is especially concerning for the Phillies because they are already going to be without superstar and two-time MVP Bryce Harper for the first few months of the season as he continues to recover from offseason elbow surgery. It is still not known if he will be able to play the outfield this season or if he will be just limited to designated hitter duties.
They might be able to get by without Harper.
Being down Harper and Hoskins would be a crushing loss for the Phillies lineups in their quest to get back to the playoffs and the World Series.
