Phillies DFA forgotten bench player to activate Weston Wilson from IL

It was only a matter of time before Weston Wilson joined the Philadelphia Phillies this season. The utility player has officially finished his rehab assignment. After being the presumed favorite for the final roster spot before being felled by an oblique injury early in spring training, Wilson has been activated to the 26-man roster.

The Phillies announced Wilson's activation from the 10-day IL before the team's Wednesday afternoon game with the New York Mets at Citi Field. Unfortunately, someone had to go to make room for Wilson's return to the active roster, and that turned out to be rarely seen utility bench player Kody Clemens.

Kody Clemens DFA'd after seeing minimal playing time off Phillies' bench

Out of minor league options, the 28-year-old Clemens has been designated for assignment. He'll have to pass through waivers for the Phillies to keep him in the organization. That seems like an unlikely outcome, with at least one MLB team possibly willing to give the son of Rogers Clemens a shot.

Clemens made the Opening Day roster after a scorching hot spring training in which he hit .327 with a .900 OPS. Unfortunately, it was easy to forget that he was even with the team after Phillies manager Rob Thomson stapled him to the bench through the team's first 24 games of the regular season.

The left-handed hitting Clemens only appeared in seven games, all as a pinch hitter or pinch runner. His stat line in seven plate appearances was quite bare. He didn't manage a hit, didn't register a strikeout, and garnered one walk.

Clemens came to the Phillies in the Gregory Soto trade in 2023. During his time with the club, he posted a .220/.265/.394 slash line with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 275 plate appearances over 100 games. Despite the uninspiring numbers, Clemens became known for some signature clutch moments while in red pinstripes.

Phillies activate Weston Wilson from IL to add right-handed bat in left field

Wilson, 30, gives the Phillies another right-handed bat off the bench. He'll see playing time right away after Thomson put him in the lineup in left field for the series finale against Mets left-hander David Peterson.

It's easy to imagine Wilson taking over one side of a left-field platoon for the Phillies now that he's healthy. The left-handed hitting Max Kepler, the lone offseason outfield addition, was hoping to prove he can hit lefties as an everyday player, but has struggled so far with four hits in 20 at-bats, with seven strikeouts.

Wilson, a career .288 hitter in his limited 49 MLB games with the Phillies, has seen success versus southpaws. He has a .333 batting average and a 1.096 OPS in 60 career plate appearances against left-handed pitching.

In 41 games with the Phillies in 2024, Wilson hit .284 with an .836 OPS, three home runs, 10 RBIs and authored the 10th cycle in franchise history.

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