Why Rhys Hoskins is rooting for another long Phillies playoff run

If it’s June, the numbers that most concern Rhys Hoskins usually pertain to home runs and on-base percentage.

This year, he’s eyeing another statistic: playoff odds.

Hoskins rejoined the Phillies this week after spending the initial phase of his recovery from knee surgery (and growing a beard) at home in California. The slugging first baseman faces a long road back, and if he has any chance of playing this season, it’s only if the Phillies make another long playoff run.

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“They say ‘return to sport’ is right at that six-month mark, so that’s right in the middle of October,” Hoskins said Wednesday before MLB postponed the Phillies’ series finale with the Tigers over air-quality concerns related to the Canada wildfires. “It’s a lofty goal to be there, but we have someone that’s done it before and we have really, really good care here.

“I’m going to push until I can’t push anymore or they say not to.”

What choice does Hoskins have? He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee March 23 and had surgery a week later. It was shaping up to be an important season for him, with free agency looming in the winter. Now, he’s a spectator, still in the early stages of a rehab that he described as “a slow burn.”

Hoskins draws inspiration from teammate Kyle Schwarber, who tore his ACL in 2016 with the Cubs in a game at Arizona. Schwarber got injured on April 7 and made it back to play in Game 1 of the World Series on Oct. 25 after a rehab assignment in the Arizona Fall League, of all places.

When Hoskins has felt depressed over the last few months — “It was the first May I haven’t played baseball in, I don’t even know how long, so I’m going through it a little bit with that,” he said — he looked at Schwarber and thought, “Why not me?”

“I think they’re very similar,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Basically the same operation, same injury.”

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Hoskins was cleared to ditch his crutches three weeks ago. (No, he didn’t spike them, but thanks for asking.) He is still “normalizing the walk,” as he put it, moving slowly and with a slight limp.

But a milepost may arrive within the next week-and-a-half when he expects to be cleared to jog.

“I guess that’s like the next big thing,” Hoskins said.

Hoskins figures that being back in Philadelphia and around the team will lift his spirits, too. He and his wife, Jayme, are hosting their annual fundraiser to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association on June 22 at Yards Brewery.

Before long, he said, he’ll start bugging president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski about letting him accompany the team on road trips.

The Phillies miss Hoskins in ways that extend beyond his typical 25-30 homers and 80-90 RBIs. As one of the club’s few homegrown stars and longest-tenured players, he’s a leader in the clubhouse. Bryce Harper recently referred to Hoskins as the team’s “captain.”

Over the years, the Phillies have struggled without Hoskins in the lineup. They went 5-12 down the stretch in 2020 after he injured his elbow; in 2021, they stumbled to a 19-17 finish and missed the playoffs after he had season-ending abdominal surgery.

And then there’s this year’s disappointing 29-32 start, which brings us back to those playoff odds. Baseball-Reference gives the Phillies a 19.4% chance to make the playoffs; FanGraphs is more bullish at 30.9%.

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“Baseball has shown us over a long period of time that good baseball players usually rise to the top, and we have a lot of good baseball players in here,” Hoskins said. “We’re kind of getting into the rhythm of the season here. I also think their travel has been pretty brutal so far. We have played our division only a little bit.

“I said this last year, but at some point, I’m guessing in the near future, we’ll go on a 15-2 or an 18-4 [roll] and be right back in the hunt.”

It’s Hoskins’ only hope to play this season.

“I think that’s the right mindset to have,” Hoskins said. “I’m competitive, right? I like to try to beat things that have certain standards or are put right in front of me.”

José Alvarado’s pitching line Tuesday night — two runs, three hits in one inning for double-A Reading — looked worse than he felt. So, the hard-throwing reliever is in line to be reinstated from the injured list, likely before Friday’s game against the Dodgers.

“I would think so,” Thomson said.

Alvarado has been sidelined since May 8 because of inflammation in his left elbow. He was dominant before the injury, posting a 0.63 ERA and racking up 24 strikeouts in 14⅓ innings.

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Alec Bohm (hamstring) fielded grounders at third base before the postponement. He’s eligible to be reinstated from the injured list Saturday, a possibility as long as he’s symptom-free, according to Thomson. ... Outfielder Cal Stevenson, designated for assignment last week, cleared waivers and was outrighted to triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies recently claimed Stevenson off waivers from the Giants. ... Zack Wheeler (4-4, 4.33 ERA) will face Tigers lefty Tyler Holton (0-0, 2.32) in Thursday’s rescheduled series finale.