Phillies replace Otto Kemp with switch-hitting speed demon

The Philadelphia Phillies bench has been in a constant state of change this season as the team struggles to find consistent production from the bench outfielders. Otto Kemp (.228 OPS) and Felix Reyes (.421 OPS) have shared most of that playing time, but with the Phillies shipping Kemp out once again, the team is giving a new face a chance instead.  

According to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, the Phillies are calling up outfielder Steward Berroa to the big leagues to offer a new dimension to the bench. Designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers on April 3, the Phillies acquired Berroa for cash considerations five days later. 

According to interim manager Don Mattingly, he found it hard to find at-bats for Kemp and didn't want to force the issue by having to get him into the lineup. 

“It was tough to find at-bats, and I don’t want to force it,” Mattingly said to Gelb. “So it’s a tough spot to be in."

The Phillies have three catchers on the roster, which also made it tough to find time for Kemp to play, with catcher Garrett Stubbs not playing since May 18. Both Stubbs and Rafael Marchan are out of options and can't be sent down. 

A 26-year-old from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Berroa was first signed as an amateur free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016. A career minor leaguer (nine seasons), he has seen limited action (30 games) in parts of two years played in the big leagues with the Brewers and Blue Jays. 

Steward Berroa will add another dimension to the Phillies bench

Not known for his power -- a career-high of 10 home runs in 2024 in Triple-A Buffalo -- Berroa will bring more speed to a Phillies team that is already in the top 10 for steals (43). While with the Leigh Valley IronPigs, Berroa has stolen nine bags (caught three times) and stolen 40-plus bags three times in his minor league career (47 in 2022 and 2023 and 58 in 2021). 

Since joining the IronPigs, Berroa has shown some signs of power, mashing four home runs and posting a .400 slugging percentage. A stark contrast to when he was with Triple-A Nashville in 2025, where he had zero home runs in eight at-bats and a .250 slugging percentage. 

Despite coming into a situation where he may not see a lot of playing time, that could change with center fielder Justin Crawford scuffling as of late. Crawford is 2-for-his-last-33 but only has one strikeout. 

Given his struggles as of late and Berroa being a primary center fielder (33 games, 33 starts), a platoon could be in play. The Phillies were already semi-platooning Crawford and left fielder Brandon Marsh, with Crawford sitting and Marsh moving to center field versus some left-handers.