6 Phillies players who are on the postseason roster bubble

As the Philadelphia Phillies look ahead to prepare for the upcoming postseason, there will be some important roster decisions that they will need to make in the coming days. Their goal will be to field the best 26-man group that will give them the biggest chance at winning the World Series.

The majority of the players have more or less locked in their spots for the MLB playoffs, but a few others are lingering dangerously on the postseason roster bubble. With manager Rob Thomson and the Phillies making it known that they're likely to carry 14 position players and 12 pitchers instead of the usual 13-13 ratio, there are more bench spots up for grabs and fewer bullpen jobs available in October.

Here, we will take a look at six Phillies players who are currently hanging by the thread in terms of their chances of making it onto the team for the playoffs.

 6 Phillies players that are on the postseason roster bubble

Cal Stevenson

As Austin Hays’ replacement on the Phillies’ big league roster each time Hays had gone down with an injury, Cal Stevenson has done well in the limited playing time he has received as a result.

Serving mainly as a bench player with pinch-hitting and defensive replacement duties, Stevenson has managed to amass a .250 batting average, .708 OPS, along with two runs scored and six RBI in 24 at-bats over 18 games played. In the field, he has been spotless, with a 1.000 fielding percentage, while recording one outfield assist in 24 total chances over 59 innings played in the outfield.

Although he has recently seen an uptick in playing time that has included a few starts, Stevenson was optioned on Tuesday when Hays made his return from the IL. It doesn’t necessarily rule him out from the postseason roster, but the chances of Stevenson making it are slim given that other more solid options in Weston Wilson and Kody Clemens, both who can also play in the outfield, remain available viable candidates.

Kolby Allard

The Phillies took a chance with former first-round pick Kolby Allard when they signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason to shore up their pitching depth. After struggling with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start the year, Allard gradually settled himself in to become a viable option for Philadelphia as the year progressed. In the end, he got the call from the Phillies, and he has done a respectable job in the time he has been up with the club.

In his first four appearances, Allard compiled a solid 2-0 record with a 3.50 ERA, along with 13 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched. However, one caveat was the fact that when he did give up hits, he was hit hard, with opposing batters hitting at a .310 clip with five home runs in those 18 innings. After a sub-par outing against the New York Mets on Sept. 14, Allard was relegated to the bullpen where he has made two relief appearances.

Overall, he sports a 5.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 27 innings of work over seven games. Allard won’t be in the running for a spot in the Phillies’ playoff rotation, so if he does end up securing a spot, it will be in the bullpen. That is probably the main reason why he has been moved into that role for the final few days of the season, to gauge how he performs under such situations and determine if he deserves a spot for Red October.

Spencer Turnbull 

For another offseason pitching depth signing, Spencer Turnbull actually began his Phillies tenure on a strong note in 2024. He made the starting rotation out of spring training when veteran Taijuan Walker landed on the IL due to a right shoulder impingement. Turnbull did not disappoint as he went a stellar 2-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 0.84 WHIP, giving up just six earned runs with 10 walks and 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings pitched over six starts.

However, despite his success, Turnbull was relegated to the bullpen in May upon the reinstatement of Walker from the IL. He ended up struggling more in that new role, posting a 4.26 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while yielding runs in five of his 10 relief appearances. When Turnbull was finally given another opportunity to start when Walker headed to the IL again in late June, his chance ended after one start as Turnbull himself went down with a right lat strain.

Turnbull has yet to return to action with the Phillies after suffering a setback in August during the rehab process. Despite currently progressing in his recovery, his timeline for his return is still yet unknown, but he could still make the postseason if all goes well.

However, the fact that he has been out of game action for almost three months now, added to the fact he had struggled previously in a relief role which is where he will likely fit in if he makes the playoff roster, his actual chances of seeing time this postseason does not seem high at this moment. 

Kody Clemens

Kody Clemens has done a fine job filling in for the Phillies the past couple of seasons when they have run into some ill-timed injury troubles with their starters. He did it last year when Rhys Hoskins suffered a season-ending injury during spring training and this year as well when Trea Turner went down with a left hamstring strain.

In total, Clemens has batted .225 with a .662 OPS, with 30 runs scored, 16 doubles, eight home runs and 30 RBI in 86 games with the Phillies in the last two years.

More importantly, though, is the fact that Clemens had been coming up with some big hits for the Phillies since his recent September call-up this year. His timely hits at key moments have helped secure some crucial wins down the stretch. In addition, he has seen time at first base, second base, third base as well as left field for the Phillies in the process, registering 3 DRS and a solid overall .978 fielding percentage.

Similar to Wilson, Clemens provides some flexibility for the Phillies in terms of where they can deploy him in the field. Moreover, his clutch hitting and power bat could come in quite handy during tight playoff games. Added to the fact that the Phillies have recently indicated they will likely go with an extra bench bat than an extra bullpen arm this postseason for their roster makeup, it might just be enough to land Clemens a spot.

Taijuan Walker

Finally, we have the tumultuous season of starting pitcher Taijuan Walker. After leading the Phillies in wins last season with 15, Walker has been severely hindered by injuries and command issues throughout 2024 thus far. In 15 starts this year, he has compiled an abysmal 3-7 record with a 7.18 ERA and 1.69 WHIP, giving up 59 earned runs including 22 home runs, 32 walks and 55 strikeouts in 74 innings of work.

With the Phillies hoping that he could rediscover his game, Walker was moved to the bullpen at the end of August where he has since made four appearances, putting up a 6.52 ERA and 1.97 WHIP, giving up seven earned runs on 14 hits over 9 2/3 innings. His ongoing trouble with the long ball has lingered, as he gave up two more during those three games.

When he was recently given another surprising opportunity in the rotation when manager Rob Thomson wanted to preserve the bullpen arms, he flopped once again with a disastrous outing against the New York Mets.

Whatever has been ailing Walker and his pitching effectiveness, it certainly does not look like it will be something that can be resolved right now and could require some intensive work during the offseason to rectify.

With the huge uncertainty in his ability to perform effectively both as a starter and as a reliever at this moment, the Phillies will likely not risk any chances during the postseason. As a result, it could mark the second consecutive season that Walker doesn't see any action in the playoffs.

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