Phillies’ Darick Hall to have thumb surgery; Kody Clemens will take over at first base

Darick Hall sat at his locker in the Phillies clubhouse Friday, a splint protecting his right thumb. He said he wasn’t in pain, but he also wasn’t gripping or swinging a bat.

Hall will do neither for a while. He’s headed for surgery next week, likely Wednesday, to reattach a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb. The typical recovery ranges from six to eight weeks.

And so, the injuries keep coming for the Phillies.

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“It’s sad,” Hall said before the home opener at Citizens Bank Park. “But we do play sports. Things like that happen. It’s kind of what you have to live with.”

The Phillies placed Hall on the 10-day injured list and brought up Kody Clemens from triple-A Lehigh Valley. Clemens, one of the last roster cuts in spring training, became the fourth first baseman in seven games for the Phillies.

Manager Rob Thomson said Clemens, a left-handed hitter, stands to get the majority of the at-bats at first base. The Phillies could move Alec Bohm across the field, especially against tough left-handed pitching, but Thomson expressed a reluctance to shuttle him between positions.

“He’s our third baseman,” Thomson said. “That’s how I sort of look at it.”

Hall took over at first base in the final week of spring training after Rhys Hoskins tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He had season-ending surgery March 30 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Phillies were hopeful that Hall could fill in for Hoskins as well as he did for Bryce Harper last summer. Hall hit nine homers and slugged .522 in 142 plate appearances as the primary designated hitter in Harper’s absence. He was off to a 4-for-18 (.222) start this season before catching his thumb on the base as he slid into second in the fourth inning Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

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Hall said he has been told to expect “a simple procedure” and “an aggressive rehab.” He wasn’t given a timetable for returning to the field. But Harper missed a total of 57 games after tearing the UCL in his thumb in 2014. Kyle Schwarber returned in a similar timeframe after suffering the injury in college.

“It seems like the hardest part is getting the surgery and then regaining the strength,” Hall said. “Luckily I’m not going to atrophy too bad, from what it sounds like. It’s just about getting built back up and the reps and getting that strength back.

“But it’s my bottom hand [at the plate], it’s my throwing hand, so when they test the grip, it’s got to be pretty close to where it was for it to be OK. It’s good to know I’ll be back at some point playing, not really soon but soon enough.”

The Phillies acquired Clemens with reliever Gregory Soto in a January trade with the Tigers for outfielder Matt Vierling and utilityman Nick Maton. Clemens played primarily second base in the minor leagues but made eight starts at first last season for Detroit. In 56 games with the Tigers, he batted .145/.197/.308 with five homers and 33 strikeouts in 117 at-bats.

But Clemens played well in spring training, going 15-for-47 (.319) with three homers in a five-way competition for a spot on the bench. The Phillies opted for outfield help, taking Jake Cave and Dalton Guthrie on the opening-day roster and making a late trade for center fielder Cristian Pache.

“He had a great spring training,” Thomson said. “He would’ve made our club. It just didn’t fit. But he had that type of spring training. I have complete confidence in him.”

Clemens’ famous father, Roger, attended Friday’s game and sat in owner John Middleton’s suite.

“I had a great spring, saw the ball well,” Clemens said. “Unfortunately what happened to Darick, it’s not what you want to hear. But going down to Lehigh and getting the call pretty soon, obviously I’m super happy. I’m hoping [Hall] recovers quickly.”

Harper took batting practice on the field for the fourth consecutive day and hit several balls out of Citizens Bank Park.

“He looked great,” Thomson said. “I mean, he could make a ballpark look small, and he was doing that today.”

But while Harper is making progress with the bat, there are several other, more challenging markers in his recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery. He hasn’t been cleared to attempt to slide, for instance, and won’t be until his reconstructed elbow ligament can withstand contact.

The Phillies haven’t adjusted Harper’s recovery timeline, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, although he does appear to be trending to be back closer to June 15 than July 15. The Phillies have said only that Harper is expected to return “by the All-Star break.”

Harper and Hoskins, both in uniform, punctuated the pregame ceremony by raising the 2022 National League championship banner in Ashburn Alley. ... The Phillies transferred top prospect Andrew Painter to the 60-day injured list in the minors, a procedural move that enabled them to open a roster spot. Painter remains on track to attempt to play light catch next week after being shut down since March 1 with a sprained elbow ligament. ... A flag with No. 28 was raised in left-center field to commemorate former Phillies pitcher Curt Simmons, who died on Dec. 13. Simmons, 93, was the last surviving member of the 1950 Whiz Kids. ... The Phillies had a moment of silence for longtime owners Elia and Bill Buck, who died last November and March 29, respectively. ... Left-hander Bailey Falter (0-1, 3.38 ERA) will start Saturday against Reds lefty Nick Lodolo (1-0, 3.60).