WASHINGTON — The Phillies made a series of Sunday morning roster moves before the finale of their 10-game road trip.
Ahead of an 11:35 a.m. first pitch at Nationals Park, the club announced the following:
- Aaron Nola has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list
- Alec Bohm’s been activated from the 10-day IL
- Otto Kemp was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley
- Cal Stevenson was released
- Daniel Robert has been reinstated from the 15-day IL and optioned to Triple-A
Nola and Bohm’s returns were expected. Nola’s start Sunday against the Nationals is his first since May 14. Bohm’s in the Phils’ lineup and hitting cleanup in his first MLB game since July 18. Both Nola and Bohm were sidelined by rib injuries and recently wrapped up rehab assignments with Lehigh Valley.
“I know he got off to a slow start this year, but he constantly got better as the season went on and his defense has been really, really good,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Bohm. “He just lengthens our lineup out a bit more. We don’t have J.T. (Realmuto) in there today, but him and J.T. behind (Bryce Harper), that’s pretty good protection.”
Kemp rose to the major leagues for the first time in June after a brilliant start to the year in Triple-A. The 25-year-old has gone 2 for his last 20, dropping his season average to .228. Kemp has a 1.010 OPS this season for Lehigh Valley and a .657 OPS for the Phillies.
“He just needs at-bats,” Thomson said. “That’s all. As I said to him, he’s a big part of what we’re doing this year and in the future. I loved his at-bats early, and then he was getting kind of sporadic at-bats and he was scuffling a little bit. So he needs to get everyday at-bats.
“Play third, play second, play left, and get ready. No guarantees, but by sending him down today, he’s eligible to come up on (Sept.) 1st.”
The latest on Wheeler
Thomson didn’t have much new information on Zack Wheeler, who’s been diagnosed with a right upper extremity blood clot and is out indefinitely.
He said the 35-year-old is “heading back to Philly today and testing will start tomorrow.”
Thomson left open the possibility that the Phillies could use a six-man rotation down the line. He named top prospect Andrew Painter as one call-up option, as well as “someone else.”
“Whoever’s pitching good,” he said with a smile.
