PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies’ outfield depth is so paper thin they made a trade on Thursday.
They acquired center fielder Derek Hill and international bonus money from the White Sox for outfield prospect Dylan Campbell and infield prospect José Colmenares, neither of whom ranked on the Phillies' Top 30 Prospects list per MLB Pipeline. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Jackson Rutledge was designated for assignment.
The trade came less than 24 hours after Adolis García injured his right shoulder making a throw to home plate on Wednesday night in Toronto. García was scheduled for imaging on Thursday, although those results were not expected until Friday.
“Hope for the best,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said in Toronto.
Hill, 30, batted .213 with four home runs, eight RBIs and a .659 OPS in 50 games this season with Chicago. But Hill, who hits right-handed, also batted .245 with a .789 OPS against lefties this year and owns a .780 OPS against them in 295 career plate appearances.
The Phillies’ lack of production against lefties has been a season-long concern.
So has their outfield depth.
The Phillies had only three healthy outfielders on the 40-man roster who could replace García if he lands on the 10-day injured list: Otto Kemp, Felix Reyes and Gabriel Rincones Jr., their No. 6 prospect per MLB Pipeline. (Johan Rojas is serving an 80-game suspension for PEDs, but he will have season-ending UCL surgery on his right elbow in the coming weeks.) Neither Kemp or Reyes are strong defenders, and both struggled in limited action this season in the big leagues.
Rincones has played only 22 games this season following offseason leg issues, although he hits right-handed pitching well. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said early last offseason that Rincones could play a role on the 2026 team.
Rincones could join the Phillies as early as Friday. He was not in Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s lineup on Thursday. If Rincones joins Hill in Milwaukee for Friday night’s series opener against the Brewers, they could form a platoon in right field while García is out.
Hill also could see time in center field with Brandon Marsh playing every day in left. Phillies rookie center fielder Justin Crawford is batting .232 with a .623 OPS, but he is batting .143 with a .356 OPS since May 16.