Phillies put Adolis García on 60-day IL with shoulder tear, call up OF Gabriel Rincones Jr.

MILWAUKEE — Adolis García clutched his right shoulder, and the Phillies’ plan in right field took an unexpected turn.

García went on the 60-day injured list Friday with a torn latissimus dorsi muscle near his right shoulder, according to the Phillies. Righty-hitting outfielder Derek Hill, acquired Thursday in a trade with the White Sox, will take García’s spot on the roster.

But the Phillies also called up outfield prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. from triple-A Lehigh Valley. And with García sidelined for a minimum of two months, likely longer, they intend to use the 25-year-old in a right-field platoon with Hill.

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Rincones has power from the left side but is batting only .215 and slugging .291 with one homer in 22 games after missing the season’s first six weeks with inflammation in his knees. Reserve outfielder Steward Berroa went on the paternity list, creating a spot on the active roster for Rincones, who is in the lineup Friday against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.

The Phillies were already seeking more offense from the outfield. Even accounting for a breakout season from Brandon Marsh, their outfielders combined to hit .240 with a .669 OPS, 24th at the position among 30 teams entering play Friday night.

García, a superb defender in right field, was injured late in Wednesday night’s game when he uncorked a typically strong throw to home plate. He grabbed his right arm, motioned for the trainers, and left the game.

The Phillies initially diagnosed García with a “pulled muscle in the right shoulder area,” and sent him Thursday for further testing, which revealed the tear.

García homered in three of his last seven games but has struggled at the plate overall. The Phillies took a one-year, $10 million flier that he could recapture the right-handed power stroke that made him an All-Star in 2023. But among 158 qualified hitters, he ranked 153rd in average (.195), tied for 151st in on-base percentage (.270), and 149th in OPS (.599).

García’s lack of production contributed to the Phillies’ struggles against left-handed pitching. Rincones, a left-handed hitter, isn’t likely to help in that area. He batted .107 with a .323 OPS in triple A last season against lefties. But Rincones also had an .873 OPS against righties.

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Hill, 30, is expected to be the other half of a timeshare in right field. He batted .213 with a .659 OPS in 90 plate appearances for the White Sox but had a .789 OPS against lefties, including a homer off Jesús Luzardo last Friday night.

Even if García hadn’t injured his shoulder, the Phillies might have been inching closer to giving Rincones a look anyway in a right-field platoon, especially considering the difficulty in making a substantive trade before the Aug. 3 deadline.

Now, the path is even more clear for Rincones to get an opportunity.

To open a spot for Hill on the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated reliever Jackson Rutledge for assignment. Rutledge had a 7.20 ERA in five triple-A appearances after being claimed off waivers last month from the Nationals. … Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.86 ERA) is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. Saturday against Brewers lefty Shane Drohan (3-1, 3.11).

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