Injured first baseman Rhys Hoskins is on his first road trip of the season. He’ll keep traveling with the Phillies.
Being around the team offers Hoskins a sense of normalcy as he works his way back from a torn ACL.
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CLEVELAND — When Rhys Hoskins arrived at the ballpark on Saturday, he saw a few of his teammates doing a crossword puzzle. It was a tradition they started last season, and he was happy to see it was still intact. Hoskins sat down with Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Matt Strahm, and Jake Cave and started to do one, too.
It all felt normal, and Hoskins — who is in the midst of a lengthy rehab process following surgery to repair his torn left ACL — has been craving normalcy. It’s part of what has made this process difficult for him. When he was in California, he missed his routines. He missed card games and bus rides and his morning crossword puzzles.
Since he has rejoined the team, he has tried to soak in those moments. Hoskins is on his first road trip of the season. He has been working out on the field, doing drills with physical therapist Alex Plum, but he also is trying to condition his brain, too. On Friday night, that meant talking to infield coach Bobby Dickerson about Bryce Harper’s first start at first base.
“It’s just thinking about things that I haven’t had to think about in the last 16 weeks,” Hoskins said. “It’s tough sometimes. Being around the game and not being able to play it is tough, in general. But being around these games, being able to talk about the game rather than talk about my rehab, getting a three-hour break away from so much energy being poured into my knee and my body, I think it’s a good thing all around.”
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It’s a good thing for more reasons than one. Hoskins has benefited from being around Schwarber, who, in 2016, suffered the same injury at virtually the same time in the season as Hoskins. He ended up making it back in time for the Cubs’ World Series run.
Schwarber has been asking specific questions to check in on Hoskins.
“He’s been a huge help just because he knows,” Hoskins said. “And I know that he knows. It’s, ‘How is the running going? How does it feel to backpedal? Where is your pain?’
“It makes me feel like I’m not alone in this. That goes a long way.”
The plan is for Hoskins to go on every road trip for the rest of the season. He is still hoping to return by the postseason, should the Phillies make it.
“I think in the rehab process, especially while the season is going on, you can feel like you’re blending into the background,” Hoskins said. “But being around, and good people being good people, makes a difference.”
Extra bases
Noah Song was scheduled to pitch two innings on Saturday night with triple-A Lehigh Valley. After that, Song will have just one more outing before the Phillies have to either add him to the active big league roster, trade him, or put him through waivers. … Seranthony Domínguez (left oblique strain) came out of his first rehab outing well. On Friday, he pitched one inning, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. His velocity in the 97-98 mph range. He will throw again on Sunday, and it’s possible, if that goes well, that Domínguez won’t need another rehab outing. … José Alvarado (left elbow inflammation) threw from 90 feet on Saturday.