PHILADELPHIA — Rhys Hoskins homered for the Milwaukee Brewers in his return to Citizens Bank Park, but David Dahl went deep in his Philadelphia debut to back Zack Wheeler and the Phillies in a 3-1 victory Monday night.
In the opener of a three-game series between National League division leaders, Edmundo Sosa and Johan Rojas hit consecutive RBI singles in the second inning at the bottom of Philadelphia’s batting order.
Wheeler (7-3) pitched seven strong innings, allowing five hits and three walks. He struck out six.
The only run Wheeler gave up was a homer in the seventh by Hoskins, who spent the first seven years of his career with the Phillies. He was sidelined throughout his final season with the team last year while recovering from a knee injury.
“I think I was able to reel it in a little bit, got right into the at-bat,” Hoskins said of his first at-bat. “I guess there’s something about competing against the people you know that makes you lock in a little bit. But also, the guy on the mound [Wheeler] was pretty good tonight, so you better do that, or you’re probably not going to have too much of a chance.”
In an emotional return, the popular Hoskins was greeted with a standing ovation from the sellout crowd as well as his former Phillies teammates and coaches. He replied by tipping his cap in acknowledgment. The Phillies players on the field all took off their caps and saluted Hoskins. Bryce Harper, whose move to first base this season precipitated the Phillies’ decision not to re-sign Hoskins, applauded.
The Brewers designated hitter acknowledged the fans and did his best to keep his emotions in check, nodding his head and biting his lip as the applause swelled. That first at-bat ended with Hoskins popping out to shortstop, but it was every bit the emotional moment Hoskins had expected.
“I’m kind of a crier,” Hoskins said before the game. “I think it just tells you all you need to know about the energy and emotion that I’ve been able to grab from this place.”
Hoskins, 31, who signed with the Brewers as a free agent in the offseason, was also the talk of the opposing clubhouse, pregame.
“Rhys was here for such a long time and he brought a lot to this city and this team and organization,” Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh said. “I would have hoped that the Bank would welcome him with open arms and [give him] an ovation.”
Considered a clubhouse leader, Hoskins was one of the foundational players of the Phillies’ renaissance. The club was an also-ran when he arrived in August 2017 but became a championship contender in each of the previous two seasons.
A fifth-round pick by the Phillies in the 2014 amateur draft, Hoskins hit 18 home runs in his first 170 major league at-bats and finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting despite playing fewer than two months of the season. Hoskins missed the 2023 season after tearing the ACL in his right knee in spring training. He was trying to get back in time to rejoin his team for the World Series, but the Phillies were beaten in the NLCS by the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games.
“It was awesome,” Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said of Hoskins’ return. “The fans showed what this game is all about. Rhys left an impression on this fan base, like he will on ours.”
His seminal moment with Philadelphia came in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS when he hit a home run off Atlanta Braves starter Spencer Strider. Hoskins slammed his bat to the ground in what has become known as the “bat spike” in Phillies lore.
“The best part about it is that it came in the first playoff game in this stadium in over a decade,” Hoskins said. “I think that’s where that kind of eruption of emotion came from because it was just built up for so long and I drew that right from the fans.”
Hoskins made an impression during his time with the Phillies for his contributions off the field. He and his wife, Jayme, were involved with the Philadelphia community and made the city their home in the offseason.
“He’s a man’s man,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s honest. He has a lot of integrity. He cares about other people. He’s a really talented player, obviously. He plays the game the right way and plays it hard. He’s just a pro’s pro.”
Hoskins hit nine homers in 40 games for Milwaukee but missed a couple weeks with a hamstring strain. Hoskins was reactivated Friday, allowing him to be in the lineup for his Philadelphia homecoming.
“I was so glad to be his teammate,” said Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez, who played with Hoskins for six years. “He is a great person and was a great leader. I’m glad to see he [got] the ovation from the fans. I’m happy to see him get that.”
Murphy knew what it all meant to his new star.
“It meant a lot to him. He’s a deep kid, and he loves this game,” Murphy said. “And he knows the game has treated him great, and Philly has treated him great.”
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jake Fraley was activated from the 10-day injured list on Saturday.
He had injured his right shoulder while trying to make a diving catch June 23 against the New York Yankees.
An MRI revealed a partially torn labrum that will eventually require surgery. Fraley received a cortisone shot and will try to play through it for the rest of the season.