Can anyone identify this part for me and give some input?

[Baskerville]

If this is common knowledge--sorry ahead of time. I know absolutely nothing about plumbing, or pipes of any kind.

With that said, we have a plumber removing our bathtub and replacing it with a shower and in the process of all of that this part was removed along with a few buckets of red clay. Anyone have any idea what it is, if it can break off like this and be repaired fairly easily, or any other input?

Appreciate it!

 

[Mr_David]

Could be the top lead hub of a cast iron p-trap.
If you're installing a shower the new drain should be 2"
If that is what the tub drain was connected to then you should be more concerned about the drain pipe you have to reconnect to.

For example a trap with a hub and another no hub trap with a tang like that on your piece