PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Just when it seemed Rhys Hoskins was back to help lead the Phillies to the playoffs, it turns out the Phils' first baseman might not be in the lineup every night.
Two days after hitting two home runs in San Diego, with an off day in between, Hoskins was only available off the bench.
"He's not an every-day player for us," manager Joe Girardi told broadcaster Scott Franzke on the Phillies Radio Network pregame show prior to Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. "We got to evaluate it every day, in a sense."
Hoskins was sidelined for 2 1/2 consecutive weeks because of a groin strain. His removal directly coincided with the team's sudden slump after an eight-game winning streak.
He returned on Sunday to hit two home runs in a much-needed win in San Diego.
Girardi removed Hoskins late in the game as part of managing the injury. Then the team had an off day on Monday.
Despite that, Hoskins was not in the starting lineup against the American League-best Tampa Bay Rays for Tuesday's kickoff to an important six-game homestand.
"With [left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough] going [Wednesday night for Tampa Bay], we really thought it was important to have him in there [Wednesday] and give him today because we didn't think that if we played him today that he would make [Wednesday]," Girardi said Tuesday.
"When he's available it's always really good for us," Bryce Harper said of Hoskins. "And then, when he's not, it kinda puts us a little bit down without another guy that really brings some thump to the lineup."
For now, with 37 games left, and the Phils trailing the Atlanta Braves by 4 1/2 games in the National League East, it sounds like Girardi will pick and choose when to play the man who leads his team in home runs and runs batted in.
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The Phils had only six hits on Tuesday, so it's fair to assume they missed him.
"So other guys have to pick it up," Girardi said postgame. "I mean ... it can't be one guy, it can't be two guys. It's collectively a group that gets going and comes from different spots all the time. That's when your lineup's rolling."
If the Phils had their lineup rolling Monday minus Hoskins, they would have been 3 1/2 back of Atlanta, who lost to the Yankees. Instead, it was a huge missed opportunity.
"We're wasting time," Harper said of the Phillies team. "We gotta get going."