PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s safe to say the Phillies missed Rhys Hoskins.
He belted a pair of solo home runs for a much-needed 7-4 win at the Padres on Sunday, clinching a series victory in San Diego and ensuring the Phils finished their dismal West Coast trip 2-4 rather than 1-5.
Related
According to NBC10, the Phils are 53-46 when Hoskins plays this season, but 10-15 when he doesn’t. When Hoskins hits a home run, more often than not, the club comes out victorious.
The 28-year-old right-handed slugger certainly doesn’t hit for average, but he drives in runs while providing protection at the plate for guys like Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto.
So, it’s not surprising that Hoskins made an immediate impact when he returned to the lineup for the first time in nearly three weeks after being out with a groin strain.
Hoskins won’t be 100% for the remaining 38 games, assuming he stays healthy enough to remain on the active roster. He will need to manage his groin injury — evident when he was pulled early Sunday with a comfortable lead.
Still, his return is essential as the calendar approaches September. Resulting from the Phils’ brutal trip out west and the Atlanta Braves taking advantage of an easier part of their schedule, the Phillies sit five games behind the Braves for first place in the National League East ahead of Monday night’s games. In addition, they are five games back for the second wild card position, trailing the Cincinnati Reds, Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.
“We obviously understand where we’re at,” Hoskins said. “We understand that the teams that are ahead of us are also pretty competitive teams too, but at the end of the day I think if we take care of business, we’ll probably find ourselves where we want to be at the end of the year.”
Related
Where they want to be is the postseason — something that has eluded this franchise for nine consecutive seasons. It will likely be 10 unless this ballclub displays the type of consistency it broached during its eight-game winning streak, which now seems like lightyears ago.
And, if the Phillies are going to snap their playoff drought, it will likely be without 25-year-old third baseman Alec Bohm, who many hoped would build off his impressive rookie season.
That’s been far from the case. Bohm’s defense has been a major problem during his sophomore slump, and he’s been inconsistent at the plate. It got to the point where utility infielder Ronald Torreyes ended up taking much of Bohm’s time in the starting lineup — making it necessary for him to be optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley so he can receive regular playing time.
The Phillies’ optioning of Bohm corresponded with taking Hoskins off the injured list.
On the Phillies Radio Network, general manager Sam Fuld told reporters in San Diego that this decision was best for Bohm and the Phils. Fuld also mentioned that many great baseball players and Phillies of the past have been demoted before to fix struggles.
“I know that’s probably difficult for Alec to realize,” Fuld said. “He sets the bar really high for himself. He takes pride in his work, so there have been some frustrating moments along the way here, and I'm sure he’s frustrated and looking forward to just getting regular playing time and performing the way he knows he can.”