The Phillies announced that they have placed outfielder Adolis García on the 60-day injured list with a torn right lat. They recalled outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take his active roster spot. Outfielder Derek Hill, whom the Phillies acquired from the White Sox on Thursday, has reported to the club. Steward Berroa will go on the paternity list in a corresponding move. They now have an opening on the 40-man roster.
García will miss at least the next two months. The former Gold Glove right fielder blew out his shoulder during Wednesday’s game in Toronto. García caught a fly ball with runners at the corners and one out. He came up throwing to try to cut down George Springer at home plate. García made an excellent one-hop throw that almost nabbed Springer, but he immediately favored his shoulder and had to come out of the game.
Philadelphia signed García to a one-year, $10MM free agent contract last offseason. He’d been non-tendered by the Rangers after a second straight below-average year at the dish. The Phillies needed a right fielder after determining at the beginning of the offseason they were moving on from Nick Castellanos. García has provided a significant defensive upgrade but has fallen even further offensively.
The 33-year-old has hit .195/.270/.329 across 259 plate appearances, career worst marks in all three slash categories. Things seemed as if they might be clicking just before the injury, as he’d hit three home runs in his last seven games. García is still capable of putting a charge into one, but his approach has undercut any kind of offensive consistency over the past few seasons. He’s a .220/.277/.385 hitter in more than 1400 plate appearances since the start of 2024.
Even with García playing strong defense, Philly seemed likely to prioritize right field at the trade deadline. They’ve played well since the managerial change to pull back into Wild Card position. They clearly need outfield help, as they’ve gotten very little out of center or right field this season.
The Phils traded for Hill during yesterday’s off day. He’s a righty-hitting fourth or fifth outfielder who can platoon with lefty-swinging Brandon Marsh or Justin Crawford. García’s injury probably increased the front office’s urgency to make a move, but Hill fits a complementary role the Phillies needed either way. He’s not the answer for an everyday right fielder.
In the short term, Rincones will get his first major league look. The Phillies selected him onto the 40-man roster over the winter to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He began the season on the minor league injured list and has only appeared in 12 Triple-A games since being activated in late May. Rincones has hit .239 without a home run in 55 plate appearances as part of a slow start to the season.
A third-round pick out of Florida Atlantic in 2022, Rincones is coming off a .240/.370/.430 season with Lehigh Valley last year. He walked at an excellent 15.8% clip, hit 18 homers, and stole 21 bags. Rincones takes a lot of pitches and hits the ball hard. The patient approach leads to a lot of walks but also deep counts and a decent number of strikeouts. He’s listed at 6’3″, 225 pounds and isn’t considered a strong corner outfield defender.
Rincones is in the lineup tonight for the series opener in Milwaukee, playing right field and batting seventh. He’ll get a tough welcome to the big leagues in the form of Jacob Misiorowski.
