Phillies Activate Rhys Hoskins, Demote Alec Bohm; Hoskins scored twice in the Phillies win

The Philadelphia Phillies made two roster changes on Sunday ahead of their series final against the San Diego Padres: they activated first baseman Rhys Hoskins from the injured list and demoted third baseman Alec Bohm to the row of triple A.

Hoskins’ return paid immediate dividends. He scored twice, helping the Phillies take a 7-1 lead going into the ninth inning. Here is his second circuit.

The Padres would rally for three in the ninth, but thanks in part to Hoskins, there was enough confidence to hold on.

With the victory of the Braves, the Phillies remain five games in the East of the NL. The wild card is now also on the line, as the Reds overtook the Padres on Sunday with their victory. The Padres are now one game behind while the Phillies are five, with the Cardinals also in the mix at 4 1/2 behind the Reds.

Hoskins, 28, had not been in a game since Aug. 5 due to groin strain. Prior to suffering the injury, he had reached .244 / .332 / .509 (127 OPS +) with 24 home runs in his first 104 games. Hoskins’ return was a welcome development for a Phillies roster that had scored more than five points in a game just twice in the past two weeks (and not once since August 14).

The demotion of Bohm, at the time, was arguably more noticeable than the activation of Hoskins.

Bohm, 25, finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote last season after posting a 139 OPS + in 44 games. Unfortunately, he did not have the same success in his second campaign. In 111 contests to date, he has reached .245 / .302 / .342 (78 OPS +) with just seven home runs.

Phillies manager Joe Girardi had used Bohm as the field’s first baseman in recent weeks, giving him just three starts in the past 10 games – all against left-handed pitchers. Utilities veteran Ronald Torreyes, meanwhile, had received 10 of the last 11 starts in the hot corner (with the exception of rookie Luke Williams).

It’s unclear if or how Bohm fits into the Phillies’ future plans. His defense is better suited to first base, but Hoskins’ presence spoils that idea. Realistically, his defensive shortcomings don’t matter if he fails to hit – at this point, he doesn’t provide enough value to deserve a list. All the Phillies can hope for now is for Bohm to rediscover his offensive groove away from the spotlight.