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Darick Hall

Bryan Reynolds Expects To Be Pirates’ Right Fielder

By Darragh McDonald | February 18, 2025 at 5:20pm CDT

There have been some whispers that perhaps the Pirates would move Bryan Reynolds from the outfield to first base but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards. “It sounds like I’m a right fielder,” Reynolds said today, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It helps to focus on that. Just focusing on that, being a right fielder.” He added that moving from left to right seemed to be “more of a permanent” transition “for now.”

Reynolds has spent his entire career in the outfield, playing all three spots, but the first base rumors started late last year. Back in September, manager Derek Shelton told Hiles that Reynolds had been talking about playing first for years and had recently got a first baseman’s glove.

The Pirates acquired Spencer Horwitz this offseason and he seemed to be slated to be the club’s regular first baseman. However, it was recently revealed that he has undergone wrist surgery and will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. That means the Bucs will need to find alternative solutions there, at least for the beginning of the season.

Despite Reynolds having an interest in the position, it’s understandable that the Bucs don’t want to put him there right now, as it would just further thin out an outfield that already has some questions. Center field is going to be manned by former shortstop Oneil Cruz, who only has 195 innings of experience at his new position. It seems like the favorite for left field is Tommy Pham, who is about to turn 37 years and has has an up-and-down career of late.

Moving Reynolds in to take first would leave a hole on the grass to be filled by a clump of guys including Joshua Palacios, Adam Frazier, Jack Suwinski and Ji Hwan Bae. Next to Cruz and Pham, that doesn’t have the making of a strong group.

Moving from left to right is somewhat notable for Reynolds, as right field is the outfield position he’s played the least. He was primarily a center fielder earlier in his career before moving to left field in the past two years. He does have 398 innings in right, though that’s far less than the 3,062 1/3 frames he’s logged in left.

Metrics are divided on his work in left, as he has four Defensive Runs Saved but -12 Outs Above Average. His sample of work in right is a pretty small sample and tough to draw conclusions from, though he has 75th percentile arm strength and right field is smaller at PNC Park, so perhaps it’s a good move for him.

The Bucs will still have to figure out what to do at first base until Horwitz is back. Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently took a look at some of the options, mentioning Jared Triolo, Darick Hall, Matt Gorski, Malcom Nuñez and Suwinski as possibilities.

Triolo just won a Gold Glove for the utility position in the National League last year, spending time at all four infield positions and right field. The larger question would be his bat, since he has a line of .242/.325/.341 in his big league career so far. Hall isn’t on the roster and has minimal big league experience but a big .253/.342/.458 line in his Triple-A career. Gorski isn’t on the roster either and hasn’t made it to the show yet but he had a nice line of .257/.319/.522 in Triple-A last year. Nuñez also has no major league experience and isn’t on the roster. He’s also coming off a poor .250/.310/.365 showing in Triple-A last year.

Suwinski has only played the outfield in his career but there’s potential upside with his bat. Over 2022 and 2023, he hit 45 homers for the Bucs and drew walks at a 12.8% clip. His 31.6% strikeout rate was a problem but the power and on-base abilities made him a productive hitter. Unfortunately, he had a dismal 2024, slashing just .182/.264/.324 and struggling in the minors as well. The first base opening provides a path for him to earn back some playing time but his bat will obviously have to rebound for that to be a realistic possibility. Per Gorman, the Bucs haven’t approached him about playing first but Shelton isn’t opposed to the idea, while Suwinski is open to the switch in order to improve his versatility.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Bryan Reynolds Darick Hall Jack Suwinski Jared Triolo Malcom Nunez Matt Gorski

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Pirates Sign Darick Hall To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | December 28, 2024 at 10:30am CDT

The Pirates have signed first baseman Darick Hall to a minor league deal, as revealed by Hall on his Instagram page earlier this week.  Hall elected minor league free agency at season’s end, after the Phillies outrighted him off their 40-man roster back in August.

A 14th-round pick for the Phillies in the 2016 draft, Hall showed plenty of pop during his time in the minors, including a .253/.342/.458 slash line and 76 homers over 1735 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.  Big production in the 2022 season in particular earned Hall his first trip to the big leagues, and he continued to impress by hitting .250/.282/.522 with nine homers in 142 PA.

Unfortunately, a thumb surgery cost him over two and a half months of the 2023 season, and Hall hit only .167/.196/.241 over 56 Major League PA while spending most of the year at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.  Hall last appeared in the big leagues on July 20, 2023, as he spent the entirety of the 2024 season in the minors.  Hall hit only .236/.320/.387 over 488 PA for Lehigh Valley last year, so he didn’t do much to force the issue in earning himself another look on Philadelphia’s roster.

It also didn’t help Hall that, as a first base-only player at this stage of his career, the Phillies never had much of a place to play him.  Between Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper, and Kyle Schwarber, the Phils had most of the first base and DH at-bats spoken for, leaving Hall without much of an opening unless someone was injured.  (The Phillies only called Hall up to the majors in 2022 after Harper was sidelined by a fractured thumb.)

After spending his entire pro career in Philadelphia, Hall will now head across Pennsylvania to join the Bucs, though he’ll again find himself lower on the depth chart.  Andrew McCutchen will continue to garner most of the DH at-bats and the newly-acquired Spencer Horwitz is slated to be the Pirates’ regular first baseman.  Horwitz and Hall are both left-handed hitters so that will limit platoon opportunities, though Hall might find a niche if McCutchen is spelled against the occasional righty starter.

Hall has played a handful of games as a left fielder in winter ball, but he has made only one career minor league appearance in the outfield, so it doesn’t seem likely that the Pirates will use him anywhere beyond first base.  Hall is out of minor league options, so if he did stick with the Buccos beyond Spring Training, Pittsburgh would have to put him through waivers again if the club wanted to send him to the minors.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Darick Hall

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Phillies Make Six Roster Moves

By Darragh McDonald | August 11, 2024 at 4:52pm CDT

TODAY: Hall and Castillo cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A, the Phillies announced.

AUGUST 9: The Phillies announced a series of roster moves today. Outfielder Austin Hays has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 8, with a left hamstring strain. Left-hander Kolby Allard was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To take those two roster spots, the club selected outfielder Cal Stevenson and right-hander Max Lazar. To open 40-man spots for those two, first baseman Darick Hall and righty Max Castillo have been designated for assignment.

Hays left Wednesday’s game with left hamstring tightness, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com on X. It’s unclear how long he is expected to be out of action, but it seems the Phils will have to progress for at least a week without their recent outfield upgrade. Acquired from the Orioles prior to the deadline, Hays hit .263/.282/.395 and stole two bases in his first ten games with Philadelphia but will now sit on the shelf for a while.

The club still has Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas and Weston Wilson in the outfield mix but will bolster that group with Stevenson. Now 27, he was claimed off waivers from the Giants in May of last year but then was outrighted off the Phillies’ roster the following month.

He’s spent all of this year putting up great numbers at the Triple-A level. In 91 games for the IronPigs, he’s hit seven home runs and drawn walks at a massive 16.4% clip while limiting his strikeouts to a 16.7% strikeout rate. His .307/.420/.488 batting line translates to a 138 wRC+ and he’s also stolen 27 bases while lining up at all three outfield spots.

Stevenson has put up strong numbers in the minors before but struggled in limited major league looks. He has 29 big league games under his belt at this point, with the Giants and Athletics, but he hit just .145/.259/.188 in those contests. If things click this time around, he still has one option remaining and he won’t be able to get to one year of service time this season, meaning he could be retained well into the future at minimal cost.

But getting Stevenson onto the roster seems to have cost Hall his spot. He has done some exciting stuff at the plate in the past but is not having his best year. He’s spent the entire season in Triple-A and does have 12 home runs, but his .248/.324/.402 line translates to an 86 wRC+ in the strong offensive environment of the International League this year.

Hall is in his final option year and therefore will be out of options in 2025. Even before this year’s struggles, he didn’t have a path to playing time in Philadelphia with Bryce Harper at first base and Kyle Schwarber in the designated hitter slot. With less roster flexibility next year, he was going to have a hard time hanging onto his roster spot going forward, so the Phils have nudged him off today.

With the trade deadline now passed, they will have no choice but to put him on waivers in the coming days. Clubs may be interested based on his past performance. From 2021 to 2023, he hit 60 home runs in 297 minor league games, walked at an 11.1% clip and had a 21.1% strikeout rate. His combined .261/.351/.486 batting line translated to a 117 wRC+. He can be kept on optional assignment for the rest of this year but will be out of options next year and has no defensive versatility as a first base/DH only player.

The club also made a switch on the pitching side, giving Lazar his first major league call. Drafted by the Brewers back in 2017, he climbed as high as Double-A but didn’t get the major league call by the end of 2023 and qualified for minor league free agency.

The Phillies signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason and have been watching him post great results. In 40 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, he has a 1.79 earned run average, 33.8% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. Those impressive numbers get him up to the Philly bullpen and he’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Castillo, 25, was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in February. Like Hall, he is in his final option year and may been running out of time. Claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in February, he has been providing the Phils with some starting depth but the results haven’t been there this year. In 52 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, he has a 7.62 ERA, 16.4% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate.

The Phils will have to put him on waivers in a few days. As recently as last year, he seemed like a capable up-and-down arm, as he posted a 4.43 ERA in the majors with the Royals and a 4.58 ERA at the Triple-A level, but it’s obviously been a different story this year. Between Castillo and Hall, neither has a previous career outright nor three years of big league service time. If either of them clear waivers, they would stick with the Phils as non-roster depth.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Austin Hays Cal Stevenson Darick Hall Kolby Allard Max Castillo Max Lazar

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Phillies Designate Dalton Guthrie For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | June 19, 2023 at 12:40pm CDT

The Phillies announced that first baseman Darick Hall has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To open a spot for him on the 40-man roster, outfielder Dalton Guthrie was designated for assignment.

Hall seemed like he was destined to take over the first base job in Philadelphia when Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL during Spring Training. However, Hall suffered his own injury early in the season when he tore a ligament in his thumb and required surgery. He’s been rehabbing for the past few weeks but the club has decided to give him some more time in the minors to get into a groove after an extended absence. They’ve been using a platoon of Alec Bohm and Kody Clemens to cover first base and will presumably continue with that arrangement for the time being.

Rehab assignments come with a maximum length of 20 days for position players, so Hall needed to be reinstated from the IL, which has bumped Guthrie out of his roster spot. He was first added to the club’s roster late last year and hit .333/.500/.476 for a scorching hot debut, but in a small sample of 28 plate appearances. This year, he hit a much more tepid .167/.286/.208 in another 28 plate appearances.

He doesn’t have a ton of major league experience but he’s always performed well in Triple-A, hitting .296/.359/.467 over 609 plate appearances at that level. An infielder earlier in his minor league career, he’s moved to being primarily an outfielder as time has gone on.

The Phillies will now have a week to trade Guthrie or pass him through waivers. He has very little service time and a full slate of options, which could make him an appealing long-term depth option for a club that’s intrigued by his Triple-A offensive output.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Dalton Guthrie Darick Hall

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Phillies Notes: First Base, Painter, Song, Pache, Alvarado

By Nick Deeds | May 27, 2023 at 4:32pm CDT

TODAY: Hall and Pache will both begin rehab assignments at lower A-ball Clearwater this week, with The Athletic’s Matt Gelb tweeting that Hall will start action on Tuesday and Pache on Wednesday.  Alvarado played catch today but didn’t throw his bullpen due to feeling “a little sore.”

MAY 26: After long-time first baseman Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL during Spring Training, the Phillies were left entering the season with a hole at first base for the first time in years. That appeared to open the door for Darick Hall, who impressed in 41 games last year, to take the lion’s share of the starts at first base this season, but Hall suffered a torn ligament in his thumb just six games into the 2023 campaign that required surgery, and has been on the shelf ever since.

Since then, the Phillies have relied on a timeshare between Kody Clemens and Alec Bohm at first base to acceptable but uninspiring results. In 22 games with the Phillies this season, Clemens has slashed a solid .241/.302/.483 that’s good for a wRC+ of 109. That wRC+ figure improves to 127 against right-handed pitching, with Clemens posting a much stronger .255/.321/.529 slash line against righties so far, albeit in a small sample size of just 56 plate appearances. Bohm, meanwhile, has slashed .269/.324/.409 with a wRC+ of just 99 in 204 plate appearances this season, though in 60 plate appearances against lefties, that slash line improves to a healthy .268/.300/.518 figure that’s good for a wRC+ of 115.

While a platoon of Clemens and Bohm has held down the fort capably at the cold corner so far this season, as the club’s wRC+ of 98 at first base this season ranks just 20th in the majors. Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that recently-released Cubs first baseman Eric Hosmer could be a fit, though Hosmer has slashed an abysmal .234/.280/.330 in 100 plate appearances this season that’s 32% worse than league average in terms of wRC+. The Phillies have reportedly also considered using superstar Bryce Harper at first base as a way to open up the DH spot while protecting Harper from high-intensity throws in the outfield, though Harper has spent just a third of an inning at first base during his career to this point.

Fortunately for the Phillies, such drastic measures may not be needed at all, as MLB.com notes Hall could begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week, putting him on track to potentially return shortly after he’s eligible to do so on June 5. Hall, who slashed .250/.282/.522 with 18 extra base hits in just 41 games last season, could provide a significant boost to the club’s production at first base with a healthy return.

Hall is far from the only injured Phillies player who has received a positive injury update in recent days, as GM Dave Dombrowski has also expressed optimism that top prospect Andrew Painter and Rule 5 pick Noah Song will both pitch competitively this season. As noted by MLB.com, Dombrowski left open the possibility that Painter, who is currently throwing off a mound from 50-55 feet, could impact the big league club at some point this season. As for Song, he will of course have to be added to the active roster within 30 days of beginning a rehab assignment, and will shed Rule 5 restrictions after spending 90 days on the club’s active roster.

Meanwhile, both center fielder Cristian Pache and lefty reliever Jose Alvarado are targeting returns to big league action at some point next month, with rehab assignments expected for both players in the coming weeks, per MLB.com.

A long-time top prospect, Pache struggled badly with the bat during the first 126 games of his big league career, with a slash line of just .156/.205/.234 during that time. That brutal offensive production led the A’s to trade him to the Phillies just before the start of the 2023 campaign, where Pache got off to a hot start with a .360/.360/.600 slash line in 18 games before hitting the injured list with a torn meniscus at the end of April. An elite defender in center field, Pache figures to shore up an outfield defense that currently features Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the corners flanking center fielder Brandon Marsh upon his return.

Alvarado, meanwhile, was placed on the injured list early this month with elbow inflammation after his own hot start to the 2023 campaign where he pitched to a 0.63 ERA in 14 1/3 innings of work. The 28-year-old Alvarado, who signed an extension with the club during the spring, threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and figures to throw another tomorrow before progressing to facing live hitters on Tuesday. Once Alvarado returns, he figures to be an immediate factor in the club’s late inning mix alongside Seranthony Dominguez and Craig Kimbrel.

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Notes Philadelphia Phillies Andrew Painter Cristian​ Pache Darick Hall Eric Hosmer Jose Alvarado Noah Song

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Phillies Claim Dylan Covey Off Waivers

By Simon Hampton | May 20, 2023 at 1:30pm CDT

The Phillies announced that they have claimed right handed pitcher Dylan Covey off waivers from the Dodgers. To make room, the team has transferred first baseman Darick Hall to the 60-day IL. Covey had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers.

It was short stint for Covey in Dodger blue, as he was selected on Wednesday, threw four innings of relief after Dustin May was removed after just one inning with elbow pain. Covey was then DFA’d shortly after. The 31-year-old had been working at Triple-A, where he owned a 4.22 ERA over 32 innings.

The former fourth round pick by the Athletics owns a career 6.54 ERA over 268 1/3 big league innings between the White Sox, Red Sox and now Dodgers. The Phillies are in need of pitching depth as they try to recover from a five game losing run that the team is on. Through the month of May, they’re sporting an ERA of 5.36. They also saw Ranger Suarez throw just two innings last night, so had to rely heavily on their bullpen to get them through the game.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Darick Hall Dylan Covey

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Bryce Harper Preparing For Work At First Base

By Anthony Franco | April 12, 2023 at 8:04pm CDT

The Phillies are likely to be without Bryce Harper for most of the first half of this season. The two-time MVP continues to rehab from last November’s Tommy John surgery. His recovery timetable isn’t entirely clear, though it seems he’s likely to be on the injured list at least until well into May.

Because the surgery was on Harper’s throwing elbow, his hitting is further along than his defense. He’s already progressed to taking batting practice but hasn’t been cleared to throw. Harper is certain to return as a designated hitter before he can play defense but the Phils are considering one course of action that potentially could allow him to don a glove sooner than anticipated.

Matt Gelb of the Athletic reports that Harper is preparing to work at first base. The primary benefit is that it may expedite his ability to take the field by reducing the amount of stress he’ll put on his throwing arm. Corner outfield work involves more high-effort throws than Harper would have to make at first base. He wouldn’t be able to entirely avoid throwing at any position, of course, but there’d be a lower frequency and reduced intensity on most throws Harper would have to make compared to the outfield.

Some increased flexibility from Harper could also address a position that has surprisingly become a weak point in the Philadelphia lineup. The Phils lost Rhys Hoskins for what appears to be the entire season after a Spring Training ACL tear. Darick Hall, Hoskins’ replacement, tore a ligament in his right thumb last week. He underwent surgery this morning, with the Phils estimating a two-month recovery timetable. That pushed utility player Kody Clemens into the lion’s share of first base reps, with Alec Bohm expected to take some playing time against left-handed pitching.

Harper has logged one third of an inning at first base in his MLB career. He’s otherwise exclusively been an outfielder as a professional. There’s risk of growing pains with any player moving to a position with which he’s completely unfamiliar, though it’s hardly uncommon for outfielders to factor in at first base on occasion. Harper has been taking some ground balls — without making overhand throws — in recent days, Gelb notes.

Regardless of how well he takes to drills, he’ll return to the lineup as a DH before he’s cleared to defend. If he’s able to factor in at first base closer to the All-Star Break (before he’d theoretically be able to play the outfield), that’d afford the front office and coaching staff some flexibility. While Harper’s at DH, the Phils are set to pencil in Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos into the corner outfield positions regularly. Barring a breakout from Clemens, they’d perhaps have perhaps been looking to the trade market for first base help.

If Harper covers that position and vacates the DH spot for one of Schwarber or Castellanos, the Phils could broaden their search for outfield upgrades. Vacating DH would also allow manager Rob Thomson more freedom to rotate regulars through the position as quasi-rest days. It’s to be determined whether Harper will find success in that role, but the seven-time All-Star is going to try to expand his defensive flexibility over the coming weeks.

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Philadelphia Phillies Bryce Harper Darick Hall

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Latest On Phillies’ First Base Plans

By Anthony Franco | April 7, 2023 at 10:18pm CDT

The Phillies entered the season with an unexpected question mark at first base. Rhys Hoskins went down with what’s likely to be a season-ending ACL tear during the final week of Spring Training. That pushed Darick Hall to the top of the depth chart, at least against right-handed pitching.

Hall started five of Philadelphia’s first six games before suffering a thumb injury on Wednesday. The Phils announced this morning the left-handed hitter tore a ligament in his right thumb and will require surgery. Matt Gelb of the Athletic writes that Hall could be out for around two months, which’ll leave the club dipping further down the depth chart.

The first crack will apparently fall to Kody Clemens. Acquired alongside Gregory Soto in a trade with the Tigers over the offseason, Clemens was recalled to make his team debut this morning. He got the nod at first base against Reds righty Hunter Greene. Manager Rob Thomson told reporters the Phils plan to use the lefty-swinging Clemens as their primary first baseman against right-handed pitching (link via Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Against southpaws, it seems likely the Phils will slide Alec Bohm over from third base while turning to Edmundo Sosa or Josh Harrison at the hot corner. Non-roster player Scott Kingery hit well in Spring Training to potentially put himself in the mix for a multi-positional bench role as well.

Clemens, 27 next month, has primarily been a second baseman. He’s regarded as more of a bat-first player, though most prospect evaluators have suggested he’s better suited for a utility role than playing every day. Clemens got into 57 big league games with Detroit last season, struggling to a .145/.197/.308 line in 127 trips to the plate. He’d been far better with their top affiliate in Toledo, where he had an above-average .274/.327/.535 slash with 13 home runs in 60 contests.

While Clemens has a solid offensive track record in the minors, it’s an obviously suboptimal situation for a team that expects to contend in what should be a difficult NL East. Gelb writes that Philadelphia explored potential trade possibilities in the immediate aftermath of Hoskins’ injury but couldn’t find an available external option they considered a significant enough upgrade over Hall. It’s possible they reexamine that market in the wake of Hall’s injury, although it’s not a typically active time for trades. If the Phils were to go outside the organization in the short term, it’d likely be for a player towards the back of the depth chart rather than an impact acquisition.

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Philadelphia Phillies Darick Hall Kody Clemens

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Phillies’ Darick Hall To Undergo Thumb Surgery

By Darragh McDonald | April 7, 2023 at 10:35am CDT

10:35am: Hall actually tore a ligament in his thumb, reports Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and will require surgery.

9:20am: The Phillies announced that they have recalled infielder Kody Clemens from Triple-A. He’ll take the roster spot of infielder Darick Hall, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right thumb sprain, retroactive to April 6. The recall of Clemens had been previously reported by Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

The Phillies have been hit hard by the injury bug in the early parts of this season as they’ve limped out to a 1-5 start in the first week. Up until about two weeks ago, Hall was lined up to be in a supporting role on the Phillies’ bench behind regular first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Unfortunately, Hoskins suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a spring contest, an injury that could keep him out of action for the entire season.

That bumped Hall to the top of the depth chart at first base, which was a decent fallback for the Phils to have on hand. He hit 28 home runs in Triple-A last year and then added nine more in his 42-game major league debut. He struck out in 31% of his major league plate appearances but still hit .250/.282/.522 for a wRC+ of 120. He’s appeared in all six contests so far this year, getting the starting gig at first base in five of them, but will now head to the injured list for a spell.

It’s unclear how much time Hall is expected to miss, but the Phils will have to improvise at first now that they are doubly shorthanded there, at least until Hall can return. It’s possible that Alec Bohm moves from over from third base, opening up the hot corner for players like Clemens, Edmundo Sosa or Josh Harrison. Clemens spent time at first, second, third and left field with the Tigers last year but hit just .145/.197/.308 in 127 plate appearances. His Triple-A batting line was a much nicer .274/.327/.535. If the Phils look outside the organization, there are some notable free agents still available, including first base-capable players like Miguel Sanó and Darin Ruf.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Darick Hall Kody Clemens

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Dombrowski: Darick Hall Favorite For Majority Of First Base Reps

By Anthony Franco | March 24, 2023 at 5:26pm CDT

The Phillies were dealt a huge blow yesterday when Rhys Hoskins went down with an ACL tear that’ll require surgery. They’ll now have to patch things together at first base unexpectedly.

Darick Hall appears the next man up. The left-handed hitter got into his first 42 MLB games last season. He connected on nine longballs and slugged .522 in 142 plate appearances. That’s a promising start but a meager 3.5% walk rate and elevated 31% strikeout percentage contributed to a .282 on-base mark. Hall had hit .254/.330/.528 with 28 homers, a 9.5% walk percentage and a 22.6% strikeout rate in 101 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer today that Hall looks like the favorite to take the bulk of the first base reps. That could come in a platoon capacity, as the 27-year-old had dramatic splits last year. Between the majors and Lehigh Valley, Hall mashed at a .280/.344/.601 clip over 436 plate appearances against right-handed pitching. He limped to a .175/.242/.314 line over 149 trips to the dish against lefties — all but 12 of those coming against Triple-A arms.

“We have not made that decision yet,” Dombrowski said of a possible platoon. “I know he’ll get the majority of playing time, but of course the majority of playing time we’ll face righties. But I don’t know what we’re going to do in that regard. We haven’t discussed that part of it yet.”

Philadelphia could slide the righty-swinging Alec Bohm over to first base on days when there’s a left-handed opposing starter. That’d leave third base to a more defense-oriented player, likely one of Edmundo Sosa or Josh Harrison. The Phils could also take another look at Scott Kingery, who isn’t on the 40-man roster but has played well this spring. If they wish to look outside the organization, Miguel Sanó remains unsigned while Keston Hiura will be traded or waived within the next week.

As for Hoskins, Dombrowski noted the surgery comes with a recovery timetable of seven months. The Phils haven’t officially ruled him out for the entire season, with the baseball ops president telling Coffey they’re uncertain if Hoskins has a chance to return if the club makes a deep playoff run.

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    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Pirates Reportedly Have Very Few Untouchable Players At Trade Deadline

    Griffin Canning Believed To Have Suffered Achilles Injury

    Mariners Looking For Corner Infield Bats; Ownership Willing To Bump Payroll

    Wander Franco Found Guilty Of Sexual Abuse

    Mariners Place Rowdy Tellez On Release Waivers

    Max Meyer To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery

    Whit Merrifield Announces Retirement

    White Sox Sign Noah Syndergaard To Minor League Deal

    Corbin Carroll Placed On IL With Wrist Fracture

    Hoops Rumors Has The Latest On NBA Draft, Free Agency

    Mets Option Francisco Alvarez

    Reds To Promote Chase Burns For MLB Debut

    Recent

    Trey Mancini Opts Out Of D-Backs Deal

    Padres To Select Eduarniel Nunez

    Brewers’ Connor Thomas To Undergo Elbow Surgery

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Jorge Mateo To Miss 8 To 12 Weeks With Hamstring Strain

    Reds To Sign Buck Farmer To Minor League Deal

    Pirates Trade Hunter Stratton To Braves

    Rockies Designate Sam Hilliard For Assignment, Select Austin Nola

    Orioles Select Jacob Stallings, Designate Emmanuel Rivera For Assignment

    Rangers Select Billy McKinney, Transfer Tyler Mahle To 60-Day IL

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