Phillies recall hot-hitting infielder with Bryce Harper out of the lineup

After a successful 8-2 homestand, the Philadelphia Phillies embark on a 10-game road trip beginning in Cincinnati on Monday.

Unfortunately, they'll be without superstar first baseman Bryce Harper for the start of the trip. The team announced on Monday afternoon that it had placed Harper on the paternity list. Bryce and his wife Kayla announced they were expecting their third child in March.

The Phillies have recalled infielder Kody Clemens from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill his spot on the 26-man roster for what will likely be three days.

Phillies recall hot-hitting Kody Clemens with Harper out of the lineup

After a strong spring training, Clemens has been off to a good start with the IronPigs this season. He has been even hotter of late. In his last seven games, the 27-year-old is hitting .321 with a .938 OPS. He has one home run, two doubles, a triple and six RBI over that span, leading to a 136 wRC+.

On the season, Clemens is hitting .270 with an .841 OPS, three homers, four doubles and 11 RBI. Most importantly, he's striking out at an 18.8 percent clip, the lowest mark of his career since his time in Low-A in 2018 in the Detroit Tigers system.

Phillies fans should be familiar with Clemens from his time with the big league club last season. In 49 games, primarily at first base, the left-handed hitter posted a .230 batting average and a .644 OPS while striking out 27 percent of the time. His best stretch came in May when he hit .333 with 14 hits, one home run and three doubles in 47 plate appearances.

Clemens will see limited action while traveling with the team, as third baseman Alec Bohm will likely slide over to first in Harper's absence. Bohm appeared in 80 games (59 starts) at first base in 2023 and has already played there twice this season with one start. While his defense won't be on the same level as Harper's, the short stint on the right side of the infield shouldn't hamper the Phillies.