It’s time for Rhys Hoskins to take a night off.
The Phillies first baseman continues to do and say the right things during the worst stretch of his young MLB career, but Gabe Kapler has to consider giving the 26-year-old a breather.
Even if it’s against wishes.
Hoskins’ struggles made their way to the defensive side of his game on Tuesday night when he dropped Jean Segura’s throw that would have completed an inning-ending double play in the ninth inning. Instead, the error allowed the winning run to cross the plate as the Phillies came up empty in the bottom of the frame.
While Kapler suggested that he would consider sitting Hoskins, the first baseman wasn’t nearly as open.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “We’re in a playoff push right now.”
The problem is that Hoskins has done little to fuel said playoff push over the past two months.
He was on pace for a monster year throughout the first half of the season. In his first 89 games, Hoskins slashed .263/.401/.530 with 20 home runs and 59 RBI.
That put him on pace to finish the 2019 regular season with 35 home runs and 106 RBI.
The All-Star break, however, looks to have sapped all his powers to the point where there is a legitimate concern amongst the Phillies fan base.
In 41 games since the start of Major League Baseball’s proverbial second half, Hoskins is slashing an abysmal .166/.330/.331 with five home runs and 14 RBI.
His struggles have halved the Phillies’ dynamic duo as Bryce Harper has been left to shoulder a majority of the offensive load for a team desperate to stay within the hunt for a National League Wild Card spot.
Harper, who also experienced a swoon following the All-Star break, is coming alive at the right time with 10 home runs in his last 19 games.
If the Phillies can somehow help Hoskins get out of this funk, those around the organization will surely like their playoff chances much more than they currently do.
All it would take is starting Logan Morrison for a day at first while Hoskins is given a night to re-assess things for the stretch run.
