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, the Phillies announced Friday. Righty-hitting outfielder Derek Hill, acquired Thursday in a trade with the Chicago 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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“Kind of those two trying to fill one [position],” interim manager Don Mattingly told reporters before the Phillies opened a three-game series with the Brewers. “I mean, that’s our original thought.”

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 was in the lineup 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 is receiving another medical opinion before it’s determined whether he will have surgery. Regardless, it seems likely he won’t play again this season.

“It sounds like a good possibility,” Mattingly said. “It obviously is not good. Put him on the 60[-day IL] right away. Yeah, it doesn’t look good.”

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).

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“It’s tough,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “We felt good about the strides he was making. He worked very hard. Tough news for him.”

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 he also had an .873 OPS against righties.

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.

“A guy that gives us all three outfield spots, gives us speed off the bench, he gives us a guy against left-handed pitching,” Mattingly said. “Kind of fits our club perfectly.”

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 clearer for Rincones to get an opportunity.

“I’m just trying to keep everything even-keeled and tell myself it’s still the same game,” Rincones said. “But, yeah, I’ve had a smile on my face all day. It kind of hit me [Thursday] a little bit, but I don’t think it’s fully set in yet.”

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 Washington 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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