The Philadelphia Phillies announced a flurry of roster moves on April 18. Jhoan Duran has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain according to the team. Seth Johnson has been recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Additionally the Phillies have optioned Otto Kemp to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after a lackluster start like most of the Phillies position players this season. Kemp also is a defensive liability in left field. Felix Reyes has been added to the 40-man roster and called up. Furthermore Pedro León has been released to clear a 40-man roster spot for Reyes. The Phillies 40-man roster remains full with 40 players on it after these moves.
Prior to tonight’s game against the Atlanta Braves, the Phillies announced the following roster moves:
Infielder/outfielder Felix Reyes had his contract selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and will wear No. 29
Right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson was recalled from Triple-A…
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 18, 2026
Kemp has an abysmal .100/.182/.100 line with no home runs and no RBI in 10 games this season. In addition to that Kemp has a -15 wRC+ and a .182 BABIP this season. Kemp has a 0.11 BB/K rate. In left field Kemp has -3 DRS/-3 OAA/-3 FRV this year. Kemp being sent to Triple-A will allow him to get reps in left field more often and Reyes gets a chance to prove himself on the big league roster. In the major leagues Kemp has 111 career innings played in left field. Meanwhile Kemp has played less than 190 professional innings in left field total when including the minor leagues. However, Kemp became the right-handed platoon partner for Brandon Marsh in left field. Kemp entered with a lot at stake in spring training. The Phillies needed to shake things up. Sending Kemp down is the easiest way to accomplish that.
Phillies Flurry Of Moves
Needed Change To Try And Help The Lineup
Reyes has a .333/.345/.654 line with six home runs and 15 RBI in 18 Triple-A games this season. To add Reyes has a 156 wRC+ along with a .356 BABIP this year in the minor leagues. Reyes has a 0.12 BB/K rate. This season Reyes has made appearances at first base, left field and been the designated hitter. Reyes has 350 defensive innings of left field work in the minor leagues and will now be presumably platooning with Marsh in left field. In Triple-A this season Reyes has a .850 OPS against left-handed pitchers and a 1.048 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Reyes is a work in progress defensively in left field but if he can provide at the plate this will turn out to be a good move. Kemp was in a similar spot and forced a call up last season.
Bullpen Role Adjustments
The Phillies bullpen is off to a promising start this season. However, the Duran injury will make things harder. Duran has a 1-1 record with a 1.35 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP with five saves in seven outings this season. To add to that Duran has a 0.75 FIP as well as a 8.00 K/BB rate. Brad Keller and José Alvarado will likely handle the bulk of the closing duties while Duran is out. Meanwhile Johnson has a 16.20 ERA and a 3.60 WHIP in one major league outing this year. Johnson also has a 7.35 FIP and a 0.50 K/BB rate in the majors this season. With Zack Wheeler nearing a return it is likely that the return of Johnson to the 26-man roster is short lived. Duran being placed on the injured list is retroactive to April 15 which is notable.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
