PHOENIX -- Thursday is an important day for Rhys Hoskins.

Hoskins tested his strained left groin before Wednesday night’s game against the D-backs at Chase Field by running from first to third base and from second to home. He fielded ground balls, moving to his left and right. The groin is not 100 percent healthy, and it might not be healthy until the offseason, but Hoskins believes he can play with some discomfort there. So if he wakes up Thursday morning feeling OK, he will test his groin again before the series finale.

Then, if everything goes well, he could be activated from the 10-day injured list as early as Friday in San Diego.

“Just trying to find thresholds of like, 'OK, I can get to here with a little bit of pain or I can get to here without pain,'” Hoskins said.

So how does it feel?

“Good with most [things], OK with some [things],” he said. “I was encouraged by today, though. Especially with the running, that’s always been the biggest thing.”

But the expectation is that the groin issue lingers the rest of the season?

“That’s what I’m being told,” he said.

Hoskins, who had a cortisone injection late last week in Philadelphia, has not played since Aug. 5. Brad Miller and Alec Bohm have played first base in his absence and Phillies manager Joe Girardi said Bohm will start at first base Thursday. There is no question that the Phillies miss Hoskins’ bat, as he has produced a .244 average with 24 home runs, 68 RBIs and an .841 OPS.

The Phillies need Hoskins, even if he cannot run at 100 percent.

Hoskins has joked a couple times that he is fortunate that speed is not part of his game -- getting on base and hitting home runs is.

He believes he can do that.

“Hit and jog and get on base,” he said.