Injured Phillies star Rhys Hoskins throws out first pitch ahead of Game 1 vs. Marlins

As the Philadelphia Phillies prepare to mount another run at the NL pennant, they’ll be doing so without first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who’s been out since tearing his ACL during spring training. Hoskins reportedly won’t be able to return to the Phillies lineup until the World Series at the absolute earliest, but that didn’t stop him from doing his part ahead of Game 1 of the team’s Wild Card series against the Miami Marlins.

The Phils decided to give Hoskins the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, which he did to raucous applause at Citizens Bank Park.

It’s a fitting tribute for one of the longest tenured Phillies, especially given the heartbreak of his injury ahead of what was one of the most anticipated seasons in the franchise’s history. Hoskins was a big reason why; the first baseman had long been a stalwart in the middle of Philly’s lineup, but he busted out in his first taste of postseason baseball last fall, launching six homers — including an instantly iconic one off of Braves ace Spencer Strider in the NLCS — as the Phils mounted an improbable run all the way to the World Series.

The team of course ultimately fell short against the Astros, but with Trea Turner in tow, they entered 2023 with sky-high hype … only for Hoskins to almost immediately be lost for the season. Philly has barely gotten by at the cold corner in his absence, toggling between Darick Hall, Kody Clemens and even converted third baseman Alec Bohm, none of whom have been able to adequately replace Hoskins’ pop and on-base ability. Still, the Phillies have started to look more and more like last year’s NL Champs as the season went along — and if they catch fire again, who knows, maybe Hoskins will appear in 2023 after all.