While there was originally no concern about Rhys Hoskins, a CAT scan revealed that the Phillies outfielder has a broken jaw.
When Rhys Hoskins fouled a ball off into his face Monday night, the Phillies were not worried about their outfielder. Manager Gabe Kapler said after the game that he was not concerned about Hoskins. Hoskins tweeted that he was “all good”, saying he just had a fat lip.
Kapler kept Hoskins out of the starting lineup Tuesday night as a precautionary measure, but he pinch-hit in the ninth inning. He doubled and later scored in the 6-1 win. Things seemed like they were okay.
It turns out there actually was something to worry about with Hoskins. A CT scan revealed that he has a broken jaw from the fouled-off ball. Kapler told reporters prior to Wednesday’s game that Hoskins will likely be heading to the disabled list. He will return to Philadelphia to figure out his best course of action for recovery.
Rhys Hoskins is a likely DL situation, Gabe Kapler said. A CAT scan revealed a fracture in the jaw. Hoskins will fly to Philly to see team physician for further evaluation. There are surgical and non-surgical options for recovery.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) May 30, 2018
This broken jaw will keep Hoskins out for at least a month. The severity of the break will ultimately determine whether or not he needs surgery. If he does get surgery, it will take around four to six weeks to recover.
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Hoskins has been reeling since May began. He has a .161/.253/.299 line this month, striking out 32 times in 100 plate appearances. This was a stark contrast from April when he hit .303 with a .985 OPS.
The one silver lining about this situation is that some time off could allow Hoskins to reset at the plate. May was simply a month to forget. After a few weeks of not playing, he could come back from the injury performing much better at the plate.
With Hoskins out, Aaron Altherr and Nick Williams will both get everyday playing time.
The outfield of Altherr, Williams, and Odubel Herrera was the one most fans expected before Carlos Santana was signed. Williams has a .911 OPS in May, so getting him in the lineup every day is certainly a good thing.
There has been no indication of who replaces Hoskins in the majors in the likelihood he goes to the disabled list. Dylan Cozens is the only other healthy outfielder on the 40-man roster. Through 49 games in Triple-A this year, he has a .224/.321/.424 line with nine home runs and 24 runs batted in. He continues to struggle with strikeouts; he already has 74 this season.
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This injury leaves the team extremely thin on the bench. With Hoskins and Pedro Florimon out, the bench consists of Andrew Knapp, Mitch Walding, and Jesmuel Valentin.