With MLB rosters set to expand from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1, the Philadelphia Phillies will get a chance to add an internal boost or two to their current core for the final stretch run. Whether it will come in the form of a situational position player or some much-needed pitching help, it will be up to Phillies management to ultimately decide.
But if they have been paying attention in recent weeks, there’s one can’t-miss player who is truly deserving of getting a promotion that they had better not pass up. That player is none other than red-hot slugger Kody Clemens.
Red-hot Phillies slugger Kody Clemens should get a September call-up
Clemens has been on fire for the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs since the beginning of August. In 23 games this month, he has batted a stellar .311 with an .854 OPS, nine runs scored, five doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI.
Looking back to around the same time last season, Clemens also went on a similar surge, proving each time that he was definitely hungry for more big league action. Adding a power-producing bat like Clemens to an already-potent Phillies lineup could do wonders for the club down the stretch.
More importantly, Clemens has already performed respectably in his previous stints with the club this season. He has a .242 batting average, .777 OPS, eight runs scored, five doubles, one triple, three home runs and 10 RBI over 24 games.
He has also displayed his valuable positional versatility, having taken reps at multiple positions in the infield as well as in left field during his brief time with the Phillies. That flexibility could come in handy when the Phillies need to make some strategic moves late in games to give the team the best chance at winning.
In addition, as much as Edmundo Sosa has been a revelation for the Phillies as a reserve infielder this season, nothing beats a potential potent bat that can come off the bench and change the entire complexity of the game with one swing of the bat like Clemens can do.
As a result, it should be a no-brainer move for the Phillies to include the surging slugger as a part of their September call-ups if they want to be in the best position for long-term success right up to the playoffs.