All eyes are on first baseman/designated hitter Rhys Hoskins, who signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers last week. The 30-year-old veteran missed the entire 2023 season after injuring his ACL during spring training, leaving Brewers fans wondering if he’ll be ready for camp.
Following Monday’s Zoom conversation between the free agency signee and local reporters, Brewers insider Curt Hogg claims that Hoskins’ “knee will be a full-go” by spring training. That is wonderful news, given how frightening some ACL rupture can be.
Brewers News: Hoskins Shares Positive Injury Update
Hoskins suffered a horrible injury during a spring training game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers last March. The Sacramento, California native attempted to field a routine ground ball but fell and tore his ACL due to a non-contact freak accident.
Having said that, it’s fantastic to know that Hoskins will not have any constraints this spring. He’s a fantastic player when he’s healthy and on top of his game, averaging 30 home runs and 88 RBIs over the last four full-length MLB seasons. He most recently has 30 home runs, 79 RBIs, and 72 walks in 156 games with the Phillies in 2022.
Hoskins will most likely shoulder the majority of Milwaukee’s DH responsibilities after Rowdy Tellez, who hit 48 home runs and 136 RBIs in the previous two seasons, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in free agency this winter.
Nevertheless, Brewers general manager Matt Arnold told reporters that he hired Hoskins because he had “some huge hits in really big games.” He said that a guy like that is vital given Milwaukee’s recent struggles with run production.
For reference, here’s how the Brewers rank in terms of 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 |
Aside from the 2022 season, it is evident that the Brewers have not had a top-tier offensive in quite some time. Hopefully, Hoskins’ presence will help to reverse that trend in the future.
If the Brewers want to win the World Series in 2024, they’ll need more than Hoskins to step up. Most oddsmakers consider them long shots, including FanDuel Sportsbook, which ranks Milwaukee as having the 19th best championship odds.
