Harper Placed on Paternity List, Fan Favorite Gets Call Up
The Philadelphia Phillies are sending down one favorite for another as Bryce Harper heads to the paternity list.
The Philadelphia Phillies are set to begin a four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds on Monday afternoon and will be swapping one fan favorite out for another.
Philadelphia first baseman Bryce Harper has been placed on the paternity list and infielder Kody Clemens has been called up from Triple-A as the corresponding move, according to the team.
As a player on the paternity list, he will for sure missed the next game and can not miss more than three games. That means that Harper should be back before the end of the Reds' series.
The 31-year-old had gotten off to a slow start to the 2024 season, but has been red hot as of late. In the last six games, Harper is slashing an incredible .381/.462/.571 as the Phillies swept both the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox at home.
He is still off to a below average start, but is certainly going in the right direction with his bat.
As a fielder, he is doing well with the transition to being a first baseman. The former right-fielder leads the team in defensive runs saved above average, outs above average and fielding run value.
Clemens will be back in the major leagues for the first time this season. The 27-year-old was acquired by the Phillies back in January of 2023 via trade from the Detroit Tigers in the Gregory Soto trade.
Last season for the Phillies, the son of MLB legend Roger Clemens slashed .230/.277/.367 while playing in just under 50 games for the club.
This season for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the left-handed batter has slashed .270/.333/.508.
Clemens most memorable moment with Philadelphia came last season as he earned a strikeout against Michael Busch. His first career strikeout came agaisnt Shohei Ohtani as a member of the Tigers.
Harper will be spending the next few days celebrating the birth of his third child with his wife Kayla as the Phillies will try to get off to a hot start agains the Reds.
