Can Hall Really Win the First Base Job for Philadelphia Phillies This Time Around?

The Philadelphia Phillies are in need of a first baseman, could Darick Hall be the full-time solution?
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When Rhys Hoskins tore his ACL in spring training, the Philadelphia Phillies automatically had questions at first base.

Alec Bohm has played some games there. Kody Clemens proved to be a Major League player. Bryce Harper could receive some playing time after the All-Star break.

It could also be a home for Darick Hall.

In a mild surprise, Clemens was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Hall was recalled on Sunday.

Hall suffered a fractured right thumb in the second series and went through surgery and rehab.

Welcome back.

“I feel good. I like where I’m at, and the good thing is that the pain is gone,” Hall told reporters recently. “Like when I first came back, it (the pain) would be here and there, my thumb would hurt on certain swings. But that’s even subsided.”

Hall crushed a solo home run in Thursday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The left-handed hitting Hall hit nine home runs and batted .250 in 41 games with the Phillies last season.

The 27-year-old Hall has some pop in his bat and that was evident against the Rays.

With Hoskins’ future in doubt beyond this season with the Phillies, Hall will have every chance to continue to prove his mettle.

Hall showed last season that he’s capable of producing at this level. He showed it again on Thursday.

It just might be his job to win.

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.