The unfortunate aspect of sports is when players get injured and have to miss extended periods of time. The Philadelphia Phillies are experiencing that with fan favorite Rhys Hoskins likely to miss the entire season with a torn ACL he suffered back in March.
One of the fan favorites of another instate team will be missing the rest of the 2023 season with an injury of his own.
Former Phillies’ star and current Pittsburgh Pirates player Andrew McCutchen suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon in his left leg and will be in a walking boot for at least six weeks according to Justice delos Santos of MLB.com. This will cause him to miss the final four weeks of the regular season.
The 36-year-old had put together a solid season in his 15th year, slashing .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI in 112 games.
McCutchen was a member of Philadelphia for three seasons starting in 2019. His best season with the Phillies was in 2021 when he blasted 27 home runs and drove in 80 RBI.
The injury comes at an unfortunate time for the veteran as he is not only missing the rest of the season, but he’s sitting on 299 career home runs, one shy of an MLB milestone.
Only 158 players in MLB history have reached the 300 career home run mark. Despite his age, McCutchen had previously stated that he wants to play in 2024 with Pittsburgh, the team that drafted him with their first pick in 2005.
Whether the Florida native can return to the field and be a contributor coming off this injury will be a determining factor if he’ll get the chance to reach the coveted milestone.
