Phillies pull out all of the stops to make Rhys Hoskins return as special as they can

The Philadelphia Phillies hold the best record in the National League, and they'll look to widen their margin against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

The Brewers, who hold first place in the National League Central, are the toughest challenge that the Phillies have faced so far this season. Despite the clash between the titans, the game holds significance to Phillies fans due to the return of a local hero.

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins made his return to Citizens Bank Park for the first time since he left Philadelphia last winter.

Phillies welcome Rhys Hoskins back to Philadelphia with class

Philadelphia fans welcomed Hoskins back home with a long ovation, according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb. The Phillies played Hoskins' old walk-up song, "Slide" by Calvin Harris. It was only the second time the club had done that for a visiting player. The Phillies formerly welcomed Chase Utley back to the ballpark by playing Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir."

Hoskins spent the first six years of his career with the Phillies. He was an integral part of the Phillies rebuild and helped take the Houston Astros to Game 6 of the World Series in 2022. That season, Hoskins hit 30 home runs and drove in 79.

Hoskins tenure in Phillies came to a bitter end, however. He missed the 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee during spring training, then left the club as a free agent during the offseason. With the rise of star Bryce Harper as a first baseman, there was little room left for Hoskins in Philadelphia. The 31-year-old veteran signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the Brewers.

“I think the most difficult part for me is that the ending just didn’t match the rest of it,” Hoskins said before the game. “I don’t know what that ending is supposed to look like, but it didn’t match the rest of my time there. In terms of the energy I put into it, the energy we got from the city, from the communities we were able to be a part of. It just didn’t feel right. And, yeah, that was sad. I hated that part of it.”

For a moment, there was doubt about whether Hoskins would be able to make his return. Hoskins has been dealing with a right hamstring strain that landed him on the injured list on May 14, but he managed to make it back three days prior to the beginning of the three-game series against his former team.

In 667 career games with the Phillies, Hoskins hit .242 hitter with 148 homers, 405 RBIs and an OPS of .846. in 667 career games. In 40 games with the Brewers, he has nine home runs, 27 RBIs, and 17 runs. He's hitting .242/.353/.491 with a 843 OPS.