Welcome to the latest edition of the Phillies Beat Newsletter. This version was written by Paul Casella, who has been based in Philadelphia since 2019 and covers the team alongside Todd Zolecki. |
PHILADELPHIA -- The verdict on Otto Kemp’s ability to play left field is ... still to be determined. He cleanly fielded a routine base hit off the bat of Francisco Lindor to start Sunday night's 7-1 victory, then later tracked down Luis Torrens' relatively routine fly ball deep into the left-center-field gap one inning later. That was the only action Kemp saw in his first big league appearance in the outfield -- but he'll certainly get more chances in the coming days. The Phillies seem intent on finding out whether Kemp is a viable option in left field. If so, that would provide a way for the team to keep him in the lineup even once Bryce Harper (right wrist inflammation) returns from the injured list. In that scenario, Kemp and Max Kepler would form a platoon in left field, with Kemp starting against lefties and Kepler starting against righties. Kemp would essentially be filling the role previously held by Weston Wilson, who was optioned to Triple-A last week. |
Of course, the Phillies have talked about trying other options in left field in the past without it going anywhere. Edmundo Sosa has taken outfield reps for each of the past couple Spring Trainings with the intention of finding more ways to get him in the lineup. He finally made a regular-season start in left field on April 8 in Atlanta, but it didn’t go very well -- and it hasn’t happened again since. So, does Rob Thomson actually plan to get a longer look at Kemp in left? “I do. I do,” Thomson said. “Because I think he's comfortable with it. You can never tell until you get him into some games, but so far, he looks very comfortable. “The drill work has been good, the routes have been good, the reaction time has been good. We'll see what we've got.” |
To his credit, Kemp has worked hard to get more comfortable in left field. Naturally a third baseman, Kemp did not start any games in the outfield during his first three years in the Phillies’ Minor League system from 2022-24. His first taste of the outfield in pro ball came in the Arizona Fall League last year, but even then, he started just one game apiece in left and right field. When he began the season at Triple-A, it was back to playing mostly third base, with some second and first sprinkled in. It wasn't until April 17 that Kemp made his first appearance in left field. He would go on to make seven starts in left -- usually about once per week -- over the next month and a half before getting called up on June 7. Though his game reps were rather limited, Kemp was working behind the scenes to prepare for this possibility. “I feel good out there,” Kemp said. “I feel like we've done a good amount of prep to be ready out there over the past couple weeks, but even before that we did a good amount of work my last couple weeks in Lehigh -- especially outside of the games themselves. So I feel like we've built a good foundation that's made me feel comfortable out there.” Comfortable or not, there will almost certainly be some hiccups, at least initially. That’s to be expected any time a player learns a new position, especially for a rookie still settling into the Major Leagues. Keep in mind, Kemp is not only getting in extra pregame work at first base and in left field, but he’s doing that while also adjusting to facing big league pitching for the first time. |
“Really, at the end of the day, all I try to do is focus on what I need to do that day to be in the best place to help the team,” Kemp said prior to Sunday’s debut in left field. “Like today, I know I'm going to go play left field, so everything I do from the time I get to the ballpark is to work up to being in the best position possible at 7 o'clock to go out and play left. And then we'll rinse and repeat the next day, whether that's left [field] or first [base] or wherever.” For Kemp, a guy who was undrafted out of a Division II college, that’s what it comes down to -- he’s happy to play wherever if it keeps him in the lineup. And once Harper comes back, whether that’s in a few days or a month, there won’t be a spot in the infield for Kemp, who upon being called up earlier this month said, “I'm always down for whatever's going to keep me in the lineup." That “whatever” might just be proving he can handle left field -- something that could help both himself and the team long term. “I feel very lucky to be in a position where they want me in the lineup, and they want to find a spot for me,” Kemp said. “We've got a stacked lineup, so the fact they're trying to get me in there and giving me opportunities among all those guys is a blessing.” |
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As for the aforementioned Harper, he took a major step over the weekend by swinging a bat for the first time since landing on the IL on June 7 due to right wrist inflammation. If his wrist responds well to that work (hitting off a tee and soft toss), he could progress to hitting in the batting cages this week in Houston. Given that Harper’s return depends entirely on how his wrist recovers each day and his ability to swing comfortably, Thomson said it’s impossible to predict when he’ll be activated. “I think there’s going to be a day at some point where he just says, ‘I’m ready to go,’” Thomson said. |
PAINTER BATTLES IN LATEST OUTING |
Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter made his latest start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday night, when he struck out five and walked four over five innings of two-run ball. Thomson said the reports he got said Painter struggled to find a consistent release point, but “all in all, he was still pretty good.” It’s been an up-and-down month for Painter, who also had a four-walk outing on June 4. He followed it up with his worst start of the season on June 10 (six runs over five innings), but he responded by allowing just one hit over five scoreless frames on June 15. Assuming Painter stays healthy and works through some of the minor issues of late, the club still expects to call him up some time next month. “I think the poise is very good, the composure is very good,” Thomson said. “If he stays healthy and he’s pitching well, then he deserves to be here.” |
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