Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola and third baseman Alec Bohm are back with the team after time on the injured list. With the Phillies in Washington finishing a four-game series with the Nationals, they announced the move to activate both players from the IL before Sunday morning's finale on Roku. Rookie Otto Kemp was the casualty from the active roster in today's transaction.
The Phillies optioned Kemp, who has been scuffling at the plate, back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room on the 26-man roster for Bohm. They already had an open spot on the active roster for Nola after Saturday's scary news of Zack Wheeler landing on the 15-day IL with a blood clot.
They also had to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to bring Nola off the 60-day IL. That resulted in outfielder Cal Stevenson being released. Stevenson, who had two hits in eight at-bats with the Phillies this season, couldn't be designated and placed on waivers due to a current injury.
The Phillies announced the following roster
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 17, 2025
moves:
- Right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola was returned from his rehab assignment with triple-A Lehigh Valley and reinstated from the 60-day injured list
- Third baseman Alec Bohm was returned
from his rehab assignment with Lehigh…
Phillies activate Aaron Nola to start Sunday against Nationals
It has been three months since Phillies fans have seen Nola on the mound. Sunday will mark the veteran right-hander's return from an extended stay on the injured list. Nola first went on the 15-day IL with a right ankle sprain on May 16. What was supposed to be a minimum stay morphed into a trip to the 60-day IL when he suffered a stress fracture in his ribs while working back from the initial ankle injury.
The career Phillie had a rough start to his season, posting a 1-7 record and an alarmingly bad 6.16 ERA and 1.51 WHIP over nine starts. He recorded 52 strikeouts and 16 walks in his 49 2/3 innings.
Nola looked good in his three rehab starts with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He allowed just three runs in 12 1/3 innings, logging 17 strikeouts and three walks in Triple-A. He punched out 11 batters in 5 2/3 innings on 84 pitches in his final outing on Tuesday.
The Phillies will be hoping to see the Nola they're used to seeing every fifth day down the stretch, especially after losing Wheeler for an indeterminable amount of time. He has a career 105-86 record with a 3.78 ERA since debuting in 2015.
Alec Bohm healthy again after rib fracture, looking to continue strong season
Bohm is returning from a left rib fracture that he sustained before the All-Star break after getting hit by Yu Darvish in San Diego. His trip to the injured list was delayed, as he didn't go on the 10-day IL until after the break on July 19.
Bohm played in four games on his rehab assignment with the IronPigs. He went 3-for-17 with a home run, a triple, two RBIs and just one strikeout. The results don't really matter, as long as he's getting his timing back and is healthy with no lingering effects from the injury. The 29-year-old has been feeling good since his first rehab game last Sunday, according to Phillies Nation's Ty Daubert. He's playing third base and batting fourth against the Nationals on Sunday.
In 92 games this season, Bohm is hitting .278 with a .715 OPS, eight home runs, 42 RBIs and 39 runs scored. Since his slow start through the first few weeks of the season, he has been hitting .304 with an .802 OPS since May 1.
Otto Kemp's demotion not surprising after recent struggles
Originally called up for his debut in early June, Kemp posted a .228/.298/.359 slash line with four home runs, 17 RBIs and 17 runs scored in 161 plate appearances over 46 games with the Phillies.
Moving around between left field, first base and third base during his time in the majors, the 25-year-old had been struggling at the plate of late. Over his last 55 plate appearances dating back to July 21, Kemp was hitting .163 with a .542 OPS and a 36.4 percent strikeout rate.
It looked like utility man Weston Wilson might be the roster casualty when Bohm returned, but his recent hot play and Kemp's slump sealed the rookie's fate. Kemp will now get a chance to get regular playing time in Triple-A, where he's hitting .313 with a 1.010 OPS and 14 homers in 58 games for the IronPigs this season.