Rhys Hoskins was struggling through a slump that extended back to his return from a hamstring injury at the end of May, having gone hitless for the entire road trip.
The Brewers are hopeful that his latest swing might signal a turnaround.
Rhys Hoskins
In Friday night’s 8-5 loss at Dodger Stadium, Hoskins hit a grand slam, the Brewers’ sixth in their last 13 games. This go-ahead homer broke his 0-for-14 slump and validated Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy’s decision to stick with the 31-year-old first baseman during his challenging comeback.
Hoskins and Murphy had a 45-minute meeting in Murphy’s office at Coors Field on Thursday to discuss Hoskins’ recent struggles, but a break wasn’t considered. Instead, Hoskins was in the lineup again on Friday against one of baseball’s toughest right-handed pitchers, the Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow. This decision paid off when Hoskins sent a 98.1 mph fastball into the stands, capping a five-run rally in the fourth inning after the Brewers went nine up, nine down against Glasnow in the first three.
The grand slam was the Brewers’ sixth in their last 13 games. According to Elias Sports Bureau, only two other teams in the Modern Era have hit six grand slams in a 13-game span: the 2020 Padres (who had two overlapping stretches of six in 13) and the 1996 Expos.
Murphy defended his commitment to Hoskins, calling him one of the team’s “pillars” and emphasizing that Hoskins’ power is crucial for the revamped Brewers to maintain their lead in the National League Central.
“There’s a lot of different factors for me this year. I’m in a new place, new people, obviously coming back from a pretty significant injury,” said Hoskins, who missed most of his final season with the Phillies in 2023 following ACL surgery. “I’m trying to give myself some perspective on that. But the reality is just because I’m a competitor and I know what I’m capable of and know what I’ve done in this league, those things just don’t match up. That’s what can be frustrating.
“Luckily, we play most every day and I’ve always told guys the next moment is on the way already. That’s the beautiful part. You have to be ready. Frustrating, for sure. I’m sure I’ve shown that frustration at times. But the beautiful part of this game is you always have to be ready for the next one.”
Despite his struggles, Hoskins tried to stay ready. Going into Friday night, he had a .551 OPS in his last 111 plate appearances since coming off the IL, though he had managed a few big moments, including a grand slam on June 24 that secured a win over the Rangers at home—part of a stretch where the Brewers hit five slams in eight games.
Hoskins noted that it would be different if the Brewers were struggling as much as he was. Despite numerous pitching injuries that led them to use 16 different starters, including the newly acquired Aaron Civale, the Brewers entered the series atop the NL Central by six games with the third-best record in the NL, just one game behind the Dodgers.
“It would be very different. It would be much more of a toll,” Hoskins said. “I said that to ‘Murph.’ I haven’t been who I know I’m capable of being and we’re leading the division, a fun team to be a part of, so that makes it a lot easier. When we’re winning series, it’s a lot easier to get to the next day. If we weren’t—I’ve been on teams that were bad and also been bad [myself], and that’s not fun at all. It’s a lot easier to spiral that way.
“Winning cures all. Always has.”
