Hall Expected To Take On Larger Role This Season With Phillies

Darick Hall set to shine after Rhys Hoskins went down with a torn ACL.

Author:
Andy Jasner
Mar 27, 2023 11:17 AM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

Darick Hall was an unexpected bright spot for the Philadelphia Phillies last season.

Now he’s likely to be an everyday player.

In the unpredictable world of Major League Baseball, one injury can shake up an entire roster.

In this case, first baseman Rhys Hoskins went down with a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee.

Enter Hall.

The 6-foot-4 left-handed hitting Hall hit nine home runs and batted .250 in 41 games with the Phillies last season. The 27-year-old has 28 career home runs and 88 RBI in 101 games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Heading into Friday’s Grapefruit League game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Hall was batting .319 with five homers and 11 RBI in 16 games.

“I feel like I’m ready to step up and help this team and have a major role,’’ Hall told reporters. “I’m just excited for this year with this team. It’s never been a better time to be part of this organization.’’

Watching Hoskins go down on a non-contact injury gave Hall this opportunity.

And it wasn’t easy to see.

“It was really unfortunate,’’ Hall said. “He’s a great guy and a great teammate. It was just the feeling of watching a guy (everyone) likes and just the kind of sorrow when something like that happens, a freak accident. When something like that happens, it strikes the heart of every athlete I know, just that feeling of trying to get healthy and still climbing that mountain. I’ve never seen anything like that. It was a non-contact injury.

“What was weird was there was no twisting of the foot. Maybe he just had so much force on one leg. It was just a terrible thing.’’

Injuries have always been a part of professional sports.

One player’s injury is another player’s opportunity.

That’s exactly the case for Hall who appears more than ready to step in.

“There are a lot of topics to discuss, and this will give us an extra topic,’’ Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “But I do feel comfortable saying we like Darick Hall a lot. We feel he’ll get the majority of playing time at first. We think he’s ready to step up and be a big league player. You can always get better, and you keep your options open. But we are comfortable with Darick. He worked with us in Arizona with Kevin Long over the long haul in the winter. Kevin said Darick was getting better and better all the time, closing his holes at the plate.

“He’s a good solid first baseman. He’s a big guy. He catches the ball. He has a good arm. He’s always had power. We felt comfortable even last year that he could play at the big league level.’’

Hall proved his mettle last season in a brief stint. While the stakes are now higher, look for him to have a strong season. The clubhouse is tight. There are plenty of veterans and leaders.

Don’t be shocked if Hall puts up solid numbers in a larger role.

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