Phillies Shake up 26-Man Roster Optioning Felix Reyes To Triple-A

Felix Reyes is heading down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to clear a spot on the Philadelphia Phillies' roster.

Apr 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Felix Reyes (29) runs the bases after hitting a home run in his first major league at bat during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are rolling, coming off their sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend.

Under interim manager Don Mattingly, they have gone 15-4, getting back over the .500 mark for the first time since April 7. They have won all six series that he has been the manager for and will look to keep that positive momentum going when they return home to Citizens Bank Park to host the Cincinnati Reds.

Before Game 1 of that series, the team did announce a shake-up to its roster. Felix Reyes has been optioned back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open a spot on the 26-man roster for Otto Kemp, who is being recalled from Triple-A.

Reyes made his MLB debut on April 18 in the midst of the team’s early-season struggles. He started the campaign with Lehigh Valley, where he earned the promotion with a torrid start to the year.

Phillies bringing back Otto Kemp

Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Otto Kemp (4) returns to the dugout against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Across 84 plate appearances in 18 games, Reyes had a .333/.345/.654 slash line with six home runs, eight doubles and 15 RBI. In desperate need of some offensive punch from the right side in their lineup, the Phillies opted to take a shot on him.

Unfortunately, the production he had in Triple-A didn’t translate to the Big Leagues. He hit a home run in his MLB debut against the Atlanta Braves, but it was downhill from that point on.

His first stint in the Major Leagues concludes with him producing a .158/.158/.263 slash line with one home run, one double and two RBI. He struck out nine times in his 38 plate appearances with a 14 OPS+ and -0.3 bWAR.

Reyes was taking the place of Kemp, and Philadelphia is now doing a switch-back. Taking a shot on the rookie Reyes made a lot of sense after Kemp produced a .100/.182/.100 slash line across 22 plate appearances, producing a -19 OPS+ and -0.5 bWAR.

Prior to tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies recalled INF/OF Otto Kemp from Lehigh Valley (AAA). To make room on the 26-man roster, INF/OF Felix Reyes was optioned to Lehigh Valley following yesterday’s game.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 18, 2026

Expected to be a big part of the Phillies’ bench as a right-handed hitter, Kemp failed out of the gate. But, he produced at a solid level with Lehigh Valley. He had a slash line of .262/.340/.452 with three home runs, five doubles, one triple and 21 RBI.

If he doesn’t succeed with his second chance, Dave Dombrowski will have to start looking outside of the organization for some right-handed hitting help off the bench.

Kemp is being given a chance right away by Mattingly, as he will start in left field against the Reds and bat ninth in the order, with Kyle Schwarber getting a night off and Bryce Harper moving into the designated hitter’s spot.

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