Hoskins determined to 'beat whatever the doctor says'

PHILADELPHIA -- The 2023 season was always going to be one of uncertainty for Rhys Hoskins -- and that was true even before he sustained a torn left ACL in the final week of Spring Training.

But he wasn't worried about playing on an expiring contract.

“It’s exciting because of what we have in front of us,” Hoskins told MLB.com less than two weeks before the injury.

“It’s weird not knowing,” Hoskins' wife, Jayme, added at the time. “But it’s exciting.”

The Hoskins family, however, never could have anticipated what would unfold over the next month.

It started on March 23 when Rhys' knee buckled and he collapsed on the right-field grass while tracking a high hopper that bounced out of his glove in a Grapefruit League game against the Tigers. By the end of the night, he had been diagnosed with a torn ACL that required reconstruction surgery. He underwent that procedure exactly one week later in Fort Worth, Texas -- on the same day the Phillies opened their season less than 20 miles away at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

On Saturday, Hoskins received a raucous ovation when he and fellow injured teammate Bryce Harper raised the NL pennant on the center-field concourse at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia faithful showered Hoskins with the loudest ovation of any player on Sunday, when he was the last one called onto the field to receive his NL champions ring.

"Just amazing, really," Hoskins said prior to Monday's opener against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park in his first public comment since the injury. "I just didn't know if I was physically going to be able to be here for the ring ceremony and just for opening weekend here. So not only just being able to be here, but be a part of it was something that I'll cherish really for the rest of my life.

“Those pennants stay up there forever. That's a memory that I'll be able to look back on and share with close family and loved ones for the rest of my life. And just to be able to look back on it with these guys, too, the group that was able to accomplish what we were able to accomplish."

But in Hoskins' mind, he's not done accomplishing things with this club just yet.

Though Hoskins was given a timetable of seven to nine months for a return to action, his sights are set on October.

"Yeah, in my mind, of course," he said. "I think every athlete's mindset is to beat whatever the doctor says. So, I'm going to continue with that."

Hoskins also has the benefit of looking just a few lockers to the left of his in the home clubhouse for inspiration.

Kyle Schwarber sustained the same injury on April 7, 2016, while playing for the Cubs. He returned for Game 1 of the ‘16 World Series on Oct. 25 and went on to go 7-for-17 (.412) while starting four games at DH and making one pinch-hit appearance in the Fall Classic.

Hoskins has talked frequently over the past few weeks with Schwarber and others who have suffered similar injuries.

“I’m going to lean on those people, because they have experience with the next seven to nine months,” Hoskins said before catching himself. “Well, six months … of what I should expect.”

But so much has to happen between now and then, especially to turn “seven to nine” into six.

Hoskins will be on crutches for approximately six weeks. Then, he'll jump right into building back strength in his quad and the rest of his leg.

Come mid-July, instead of potentially returning to the Home Run Derby or preparing for his first All-Star Game, Hoskins will be hoping to get clearance to start jogging.

"That’s kind of the first big milestone that I have my eyes on," Hoskins said.

It’s the first, but it's far from the biggest.

Hoskins wants to play this season. He wants to hang a World Series banner at the 2024 home opener. He doesn't want Sunday's ring ceremony to be his last big moment in a Phillies uniform, even if the thought did cross his mind -- "naturally, a little bit."

He's hoping the next seven to nine months -- well, six months -- aren't the end of his run with the Phillies.

"This is an incredible group of guys. It’s an incredible staff and the organization is first class all-around," Hoskins said. "To be able to continue to be a part of that would be a huge blessing. But also, just having the chance to win like the Philadelphia Phillies are going to have for many years to come is something that’s important to me as an athlete and a competitor, and again, something I hope to be a part of.”