CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Rhys Hoskins passed another test Thursday.

Hoskins went 1-for-3 with one RBI in the Phillies' 15-0 victory over the Yankees on Thursday in a Grapefruit League game at BayCare Ballpark. He took a few good swings as Philadelphia's designated hitter. He checked one swing. He felt fine.

"That's another mental check for me, just in terms of the elbow," Hoskins said. "I felt strong afterward. I got to come up in a baseball situation, first and third with one out. That was nice. The timing was OK. I felt pretty good."

Hoskins had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left elbow in October. He got medically cleared to play last month, but he is taking things slowly. The Phillies opened Grapefruit League play on Sunday, but Hoskins has spent most of his time recently taking batting practice at the Carpenter Complex. Playing defense in a game is Hoskins' next step, and he could play first base early next week.

Hoskins remains on target to play on Opening Day.

Hoskins' production in the No. 2 spot in manager Joe Girardi's lineup was a major reason the Phillies finished fifth in baseball in scoring last season. He batted .245 with 10 home runs, 26 RBIs, an .887 OPS and 137 OPS+ before he tore the ligament in his elbow in September in Miami. It was his best OPS since his other-worldly rookie season (1.014) in 2017.

Hoskins threw a little wrinkle into the minds of pitchers last year, which might have helped. He swung at 24.3 percent of first pitches last season, compared to 18.3 percent the first three years of his career.

How much can a six percent jump make? Relatively speaking, quite a bit. Hoskins' first-pitch swing rate last season ranked 134th out of 203 hitters, putting him in the 34th percentile among hitters (minimum 150 plate appearances). He ranked 215th out of 234 hitters from 2017-19, putting him in the ninth percentile among hitters (minimum 1,000 plate appearances).

Hoskins remains a patient hitter, but he swung just enough to maybe sow some doubt into a pitcher's game plan.

"It probably got me into a few better counts if guys knew they couldn't just pour one in there," Hoskins said. "Maybe I got to 1-0 a little bit more. It wasn't necessarily something that I was looking to do more. I was just trying to be ready to hit Pitch 1."

Moore, Velasquez makes their cases

Nobody has told left-hander Matt Moore that he is fighting for a job in the Phillies' rotation.

Something like that is typically left unsaid. But after Moore signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Phillies, he is considered a favorite for one of the final two jobs behind Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Zach Eflin. Moore allowed one hit and one walk in two scoreless innings in his Grapefruit League debut. He struck out two.

Moore got some swings and misses in the first inning and his fastball touched 92.5 mph, according to Statcast. He is the only left-hander in the four-pitcher competition, alongside right-handers Chase Anderson, Spencer Howard and Vince Velasquez.

"Matt Moore, I mean, what a sign," Bryce Harper said in the first week of camp. "I mean, this guy could be a goldmine for us. I really believe that."

Harper and Moore were once considered two of the top three prospects in baseball. (Mike Trout rounded out the top three.) Harper and Moore played together in the 2011 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

"We've crossed paths enough to stop and talk to each other," Moore said, "but I've heard great things about Bryce as a teammate from the pitchers who have played here or the guys in Washington. I'm looking forward to that. The presence that he has is pretty cool. I'm sure it goes a long way in the clubhouse."

Velasquez struck out three in two perfect innings.

"Vinny was great," Girardi said. "He worked the bottom of the zone really good today."

Realmuto update could come soon
Girardi said catcher J.T. Realmuto had his fractured right thumb examined Thursday, but he had no update. If Realmuto's thumb healed as hoped over the previous two weeks, he could have the hard cast removed and be placed in a split. It could give him enough time to be ready by Opening Day.

Harper will debut Friday
Harper is likely to make his spring debut Friday against the Pirates and is expected to serve as the DH. He battled back issues late last season and the Phillies are bringing him along slowly during Spring Training.

Anderson will start, then Howard will follow him. Catch the action live on MLB.TV starting at 1:05 p.m. ET.