Thumb sprain expected to sideline Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins for six weeks

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5 days ago

The final verdict is in on Rhys Hoskins' left thumb, and it isn't great as far as he or the Milwaukee Brewers are concerned.
Diagnosed with a Grade II UCL sprain as well as a bone bruise, the first baseman is expected to be sidelined for roughly six weeks. He'll wear a splint for a couple weeks before turning to strengthening exercises and then finally baseball activities.
Hoskins was injured in the fourth inning of Saturday's 4-2 loss at Miami when shortstop Joey Ortiz's wide throw pulled him off first base. He jammed his thumb tagging the runner and was pulled from the game an inning later.
"Just part of the game, unfortunately," Hoskins said on Tuesday, July 8. "The timing of the play didn't allow me to, I guess, tag him in a safer manner. But that's a part of the position and that's the type of play expected of us over there to help out our infielders as much as we can."
While Hoskins hadn't necessarily been crushing the baseball of late – he was hitting .170 with three homers, seven runs batted in and an OPS of .599 since June 1 – he still provided a steady, veteran presence every day in the lineup with right-handed power that the Brewers have been lacking other than from Jackson Chourio.
"Every time you don't get to be on the field is disappointing," said Hoskins, who is hitting .242/12/42/.767 in 82 games overall. "Obviously, the length of this (absence) makes it more disappointing. It seems like we're finding our footing as a group, playing some really good baseball. We'll be playing some really good teams this next month or so.
"Bummed not to be out there with these guys, competing."
Newcomer Andrew Vaughn stepped into the starting lineup immediately after being summoned from Class AAA Nashville and sparked Monday's 9-1 drubbing of the Los Angeles Dodgers at American Family Field with a three-run homer off Yoshinobu Yamamoto that set the stage for the all-star being pulled after pitching only ⅔ of an inning.
Vaughn was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for right-hander Aaron Civale and cash on June 13, and comes with the pedigree of having been drafted third overall out of the University of California in 2019.
From 2022-24 he hit .258 with 57 homers, 226 RBI and an OPS of .730.
Manager Pat Murphy indicated the right-handed-hitting Vaughn will participate in some sort of platoon situation at first base with Jake Bauers serving as the left-handed portion.
"I just thought it was the right move, and it worked out," Murphy said of starting Vaughn right out of the chute. "So will he always face right-handers? No, maybe not. We've got a pretty capable guy in Bauers. He's done a lot for us, kind of quietly, so I'm very comfortable with him out there."
Hoskins was impressed by what he saw of Vaughn in his Brewers debut.
"It's great, man," he said. "I've been across the diamond from him for a couple years; I remember him as a college player. Everybody knows he can hit. He's stoked to join this type of energy – especially with how we've been playing.
"It was pretty cool to see him soak in that moment and come through for us. That's an all-star pitcher over there, and he really kind of powered that surge for us."
With Vaughn stepping up, Hoskins will now take a step back as he focuses on recovery and an eventual return.
"I'll be doing my work in the quiet, trying to help these guys as much as I can off the field so that we can continue our push toward the playoffs," he said.
Hitting coach Al LeBoeuf sidelined
The Brewers also announced on Tuesday that lead hitting coach Al LeBoeuf had prostate surgery on Monday with a return date to be determined.
LeBoeuf, who was named lead hitting coach this past offseason, overcame a battle with cancer earlier in his coaching career. This is his 16th season in the organization but first in the majors.
"It's tough being new in the big leagues. It's a very big adjustment. And Al has been open-minded and everybody who knows him loves him," Murphy said. "He's a guy who you can see is a baseball lifer, and he's passionate about (the game).
"We look forward to getting him back as soon as possible."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Thumb sprain expected to sideline Brewers' Rhys Hoskins for six weeks