Potential Phillies Roster Expansion Call Ups

The Philadelphia Phillies have multiple options when determining who to call up once rosters expand on September 1. Each team will be able to have 28 players on its major league roster for the remainder of the season. Currently, each team has 26 players on their major league roster. Teams will presumably carry 14 position players and 14 pitchers on their 28-man roster for the entirety of September. The Phillies have some 40-man roster depth. However, they lack depth in certain areas among their position players. Since it is past August 15, the Phillies could call up a prospect like Justin Crawford, who would be able to maintain their rookie eligibility for 2026 while still being able to get some major league experience under their belt.

Possible Phillies Roster Call Ups

Position Players Under Consideration

The Phillies decided to send Otto Kemp down when Alec Bohm returned from the injured list. Kemp will be eligible to return to the majors on September 1. Furthermore, Kemp is already on the Phillies’ 40-man roster, which is currently full. This season, Kemp has a .228/.298/.359 line with four home runs and 17 RBI in 46 major league games. Kemp has an 83 wRC+ and a .312 BABIP in the majors. To add, Kemp has a 0.16 BB/K rate. One factor that makes Kemp more likely than other options is his defensive versatility. Kemp has extensive experience at first base, second base, and third base in both minor and major leagues, as well as playing left field and right field on occasion.

Johan Rojas returning to the majors is another option. This season, Rojas has a .224/.280/.289 batting line, with one home run and 18 RBI in 71 major league games. Rojas has a 57 wRC+ and a .289 BABIP in the majors this year. This season, Rojas has a career-best 0.33 BB/K rate in the majors. Despite that, Rojas has a career-worst wRC+, OPS, and BABIP this year. Rojas has made some swing adjustments in the minor leagues, though. This could be a chance to see if those swing adjustments will translate to more success against major league pitching. One reason Rojas might not get called up is that he does not play any positions outside of the outfield.

Pitchers Under Consideration

While Jordan Romano may return from the injured list later in September, the Phillies will still call up a pitcher. Currently, the Phillies have eight pitchers who are on their 40-man roster but not on the 26-man roster at the moment. It is also worth noting that Lou Trivino, who was recently called up, cannot be optioned to the minor leagues. Nolan Hoffman and Max Lazar are both ineligible to be called up come September 1. That is because it has been less than 15 days since they were last optioned to the minor leagues. The only way they could be called up is if an additional move is made to place someone on the injured list or another type of list.

Seth Johnson and Alan Rangel are the frontrunners to get the nod. Johnson has a 1-1 record with a 4.26 ERA in 10 major league outings this season. Meanwhile, Rangel has a 0-0 record with a 2.45 ERA in five major league outings this season. Both Johnson and Rangel can pitch multiple innings, which helps their case. Whoever the Phillies add as their 14th pitcher will likely be someone who can provide the team with length if needed. Michael Mercado also fits that criteria and has appeared for the Phillies earlier in the season. Mercado has a 0-0 record with a 15.00 ERA in three major league outings this season. Another player who fits that criteria and is on the Phillies’ 40-man roster is Matt Manning. However, Manning does not seem to be in a spot to get the call.