Phillies Announce Roster Move Ahead of Series Finale Against Marlins

Also, to allow Kennedy to be placed back on the 40-man roster, the Phillies put Aaron Nola on the 60-day injured list.

This decision comes on the heels of Kennedy exercising an upward mobility clause in his minor-league deal, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. If that had gone through, Kennedy would've been available to all 29 teams in baseball.

Instead, the Phillies call up Kennedy, and put him in Wilsons' spot as the last guy off the bench. In 2025, Wilson was batting .194 with seven hits and one home run. The 30-year-old wasn't making an impact off the bench, and was not getting much playing time.

His struggles at the plate made his demotion likely, whether it was upon Bryce Harpers return or another move, like this Kennedy decision.Kennedy meanwhile, has been solid down in Triple-A for Lehigh Valley. 

In his 61 games, and 226 at-bats, Kennedy has 64 hits, 35 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 40 RBIs, 31 walks, and 41 strikeouts. His .283 batting average and .835 OPS were strong numbers, making his call-up a bit easier to make.

Back in 2024, Kennedy had a brief stint with the Phillies in the Major Leagues. He had just 11 at-bats, two hits, one run scored, one double, two RBIs, and two walks. It wasn't anything special, but he became a fan favorite player as he was a local kid.

Now back in the big leagues, the 26-year-old Kennedy expects to be come off the bench as a righty bat when needed. He might not get a lot of opportunities, but with Harper out, and other lefties struggling, he could get a start against a left-handed pitcher.