The Philadelphia Phillies were already down a first baseman when Rhys Hoskins suffered a season-ending injury. With Darick Hall also going down to injury, the Phillies must turn to Plan C.
Philadelphia is placing Hall on the injured list after he tore a ligament in this thumb. Hall is now poised to undergo surgery and could miss months. In turn, Kody Clemens is expected to receive the majority of playing time at first base for the Phillies, via John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Clemens is the son of seven-time Cy Young award winner Roger Clemens. The Phillies acquired him from the Detroit Tigers in the same trade that landed Philly Gregory Soto. After being optioned to AAA to start the year, Clemens is now poised for a big role with the Phillies.
The first baseman made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2022, appearing in 56 games. He hit .145 with eight home runs and 17 RBI. While Clemens struggled in his first taste of MLB action, Roger's son had a prolific career at the minor league level. Over 343 games, Clemens hit .251 with 48 home runs, 188 RBI and 25 stolen bases.
In 2021, Kody Clemens ranked as the 18th-best prospect in the Tigers system by MLB Pipeline. He showed off a bit of his potential during spring training, hitting .319 with three home runs, 10 RBI and two stolen bases.
Clemens will need to cut down on the strikeouts to succeed at the MLB level. However, after numerous injuries, he now has a major opportunity in front of him. The Phillies will be counting on Clemens to step up in his newfound role.