Philadelphia Phillies chances dealt major blow

As it stands, the Philadelphia Phillies‘ chances of reaching the postseason are fading fast. They sit one game under .500, 5.5 games behind the Braves for the NL East. The moves that they made at the deadline have seemingly been for naught, as the division continues to slip away barring a surge over the final month.

Their hopes took another major hit on Thursday. First baseman Rhys Hoskins was placed on the Injured List due to an abdominal injury that will require surgery, ending his sesaon.

Philadelphia Phillies hopes dealt major blow with Rhys Hoskins loss

Hoskins and Bryce Harper have essentially powered the Phillies’ offense this season. The first baseman had posted a .247/.334/.530 batting line in his 443 plate appearances, hitting a team high 27 homers and 29 doubles. He was a desperately needed second star in the lineup, giving Harper protection when in the lineup.

Hoskins had also just returned on August 22 from a stint on the Injured List. He had been sidelined for two weeks with a strained left groin, an injury that added to his discomfort. The abdominal injury had been something he had been dealing with for a while, with the added issue from his groin leading to this decision.

Although Hoskins had been back for just three days and made two starts, he still had quite the impact. He had belted three homers and drew a walk in his nine plate appearances in that time. More importantly, he had added another impact bat to the lineup while allowing Alec Bohm a chance to get back on track in Triple-A.

Now the Phillies need to figure out how to replace his presence in the lineup. Brad Miller is likely to get the first look, and while he does have some pop, is not even close to being what the Phillies would need to fill that void.

The Philadelphia Phillies had already fallen behind the surging Braves in the NL East. Losing Rhys Hoskins for the year hurts their chances even more.