Andrew McCutchen heads to IL, Rhys Hoskins remains out
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
The Phillies enter an important four-game series against the Nationals in Washington on Monday without two of their top hitters.
Rhys Hoskins is out for the fourth game in a row with a sore left groin. He remains day-to-day.
The news was worse on left fielder Andrew McCutchen. He was placed on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his left knee. That’s the same knee in which he suffered a torn ACL in June 2019. That injury was surgically repaired.
McCutchen, 34, left Saturday’s game in Pittsburgh after experiencing discomfort in the knee. He had an MRI on Sunday.
McCutchen will miss at least the next eight games and won’t be eligible to return from the IL until August 11, if all goes well.
Losing McCutchen for any amount of time hurts, especially as the Phillies try to make a playoff push. He’s hitting .271 with 13 homers, 37 RBIs, and a .964 OPS in 49 games since June 1.
McCutchen tweeted this out after the news broke about him landing on the IL:
In addition to McCutchen, the Phillies placed pitcher Vince Velasquez on the IL with a blister on his right middle finger.
The Phils activated catcher Andrew Knapp from the paternity list and added reliever Enyel De Los Santos from Triple-A. The team will go with three catchers, J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan, and Knapp for at least Monday night.
