Rhys Hoskins Provides Big Injury Update Ahead of First Brewers Camp
All eyes are on first baseman/designated hitter Rhys Hoskins after signing a two-year, $34 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers last week. The 30-year-old veteran sat out the entire 2023 campaign after tearing his ACL in spring training, leaving Brewers fans wondering if he'll be healthy in time for camp.
Following Monday's Zoom call between free-agent signee and local reporters, Brewers insider Curt Hogg reports that Hoskins' "knee will be a full-go" in time for spring training. That's fantastic news given how scary some ACL tears can be.
We're Zooming with Rhys Hoskins now. Says his knee will be full-go in spring. "I'm pretty bored as a competitor," he said.
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) January 29, 2024
Brewers News: Hoskins Shares Positive Injury Update
Hoskins' horrific injury occurred during a spring training game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers last March. The Sacramento, CA native went to field a routine ground ball but wound up falling and tearing his ACL due to a non-contact freak accident.
With that being said, it's great news to hear that Hoskins won't face any restrictions this spring. He's a terrific player when he's healthy and at the top of his game, averaging 30 home runs and about 88 RBIs over the last four full-length MLB campaigns. He most recently tallied 30 HRs and 79 RBIs with 72 walks across 156 games with the Phillies in 2022.
Hoskins will likely handle most of Milwaukee's DH duties after Rowdy Tellez — who tallied 48 HRs and 136 RBIs over the last two seasons — joined the Pittsburgh Pirates via free agency this offseason.
Nevertheless, Brewers general manager Matt Arnold also told reporters that he signed Hoskins due to his having "some huge hits in really big games." He added that a player like that is important given Milwaukee's struggle to pile up runs over the last few seasons.
For reference, here's where the Brewers rank when it comes to runs and home runs over the last four seasons:
Season | Home Runs Rank | Runs Scored Rank |
|---|---|---|
2023 | 24th | 17th |
2022 | 3rd | 10th |
2021 | 18th | 12th |
2020 | 16th | 26th |
Other than the 2022 campaign, it's clear that the Brewers haven't had top-tier offense in quite some time. Hopefully, Hoskins' presence is a key factor in bucking that trend going forward.
The Brewers need more than just Hoskins to step up if winning the World Series is the goal in 2024. Most oddsmakers view them as long shots, including FanDuel Sportsbook, which lists Milwaukee as having the 19th-best championship odds.