Philadelphia Phillies Utility Man Weston Wilson Suffers Oblique Strain, Out 6 Weeks

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Weston Wilson (37) reacts after sliding safely into home plate against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Phillies Utility Man Weston Wilson Suffers Oblique Strain, Out 6 Weeks

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Feb 22, 2025 5:35 PM ET

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Philadelphia Phillies utility man Weston Wilson is expected to miss at least six weeks with an oblique strain, manager Rob Thomson told reporters Saturday afternoon.

Wilson suffered the injury in the batting cages Friday morning. By most accounts, Wilson was in the pole position to claim the final spot on the Phillies' bench, but he is now likely to open the regular season on the injured list.

The 30-year-old had been projected to hit .221 with 18 home runs, 16 doubles, 57 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and a .700 OPS across 115 games in 2025, according to FanGraphs' ZiPS model.

Weston Wilson is expected to miss 6 weeks with his oblique injury, Rob Thomson said. Phillies will take it slow. He appeared to have the inside track to their final bench spot.
— Corey Seidman (@CSeidmanNBCS) February 22, 2025

Wilson came up through the Milwaukee Brewers' farm system, but hit free agency in November 2022 before ever seeing MLB action.

The Phillies gave Wilson a minor league deal ahead of 2023 spring training, eventually calling him up in August. He made eight big league appearances down the stretch that season before exhausting his rookie eligibility in 2024.

Wilson is a .288 career hitter through 48 MLB contests, recording four home runs, seven doubles, 12 RBIs, six stolen bases, an .865 OPS and a 0.9 WAR along the way. He has logged innings at first, second and third base, but has seen the majority of his big league playing time in left field.

With Wilson sidelined, the Phillies' bench will take a different shape by the time Opening Day arrives. Rafael Marchán is penciled in as Philadelphia's backup catcher, while infielder Edmundo Sosa and outfielder Johan Rojas have spots of their own carved out.

Second and third baseman Buddy Kennedy is now the leader in the clubhouse to claim the fourth and final spot on the Phillies' bench.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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