Jason Kubel suffers setback in rehab game at Single-A - MLB

Twins outfielder (and sometimes designated hitter) Jason Kubel has been on the 15-day disabled list since the end of May with a sprained left foot.

He began a minor league rehab assignment earlier this week and was hoping to return to the Minnesota starting lineup in a matter of days, but that plan is going to have to be put on a bit of a delay.

According to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Kubel was lifted from a rehab game Thursday at High-A Fort Myers after tweaking his left foot while chasing after a ball. It’s not a serious setback, and the 29-year-old is going to attempt to resume his rehab assignment on Friday night.

“I knew I was going to have to play through a little pain,’’ Kubel said in a phone interview with the Star-Tribune, “but it was a little bit more than just a little. So I didn’t want to keep going like that. Just a little setback.”

Kubel, 29, was batting .310/.355/.465 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 217 plate appearances before suffering the left foot injury. The Twins, still 11 games under .500, sure could use that offense right now.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for a torn ACL after injuring his left knee Thursday fielding a grounder in a spring training game and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.

The Phillies did not say when Hoskins would have the surgery or exactly how long the slugging first baseman might be sidelined.

Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBIs last season for the reigning National League champions.

He was backing up to play a chopper on Thursday when the ball popped out of his glove. Sooner after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.

Hoskins, a free agent at the end of the season who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

The injury was another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.