Clemens makes the team, Phillies appear to have their Opening Day roster
Kody Clemens has won the final spot on the Phillies’ Opening Day roster, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters in Clearwater on Monday morning.
The left-handed-hitting Clemens and right-handed-hitting Buddy Kennedy had made it down to the final day of spring training in their competition for the last spot on the bench. Both are out of minor-league options and would have to be passed through waivers before accepting a minor-league assignment, so the Phillies knew all along they could lose whichever one doesn’t make the team unless a trade is worked out before Thursday’s opener.
Clemens has demonstrated his value as an extra man with the Phils over the last two seasons, playing seven different positions and coming up with several big hits late in games. Clemens hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning of a game against the Nationals last May that the Phillies won in extras. In early September, he doubled in the ninth inning in Toronto to set up Kyle Schwarber’s game-winning homer. The next week, Clemens hit a walk-off single to beat the Rays.
Clemens went 16-for-52 (.308) this spring with two homers and seven RBI. Kennedy hit for power and drew walks throughout Grapefruit League play as well, and there was some thought that he might make it because of his right-handed bat. The Phillies are lefty-heavy with Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Max Kepler, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh in the starting lineup, and they use a right-handed pinch-hitter for Stott or Marsh far more often than they use a lefty pinch-hitter for Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Nick Castellanos or J.T. Realmuto. But still, Clemens has shown enough to earn a place on the roster.
This is how the Phillies’ 26-man roster, which needs to be submitted to the league by Thursday afternoon, looks:
