LOS ANGELES -- The Phillies once again shuffled up their bench prior to Friday's series opener against the Dodgers, optioning Otto Kemp to Triple-A and recalling outfielder Steward Berroa to take his place.
The Phils also placed Aaron Nola on the paternity list, though interim manager Don Mattingly said he expects Nola to be ready for his usual turn in the rotation as of now. In the meantime, the club recalled righty reliever Nolan Hoffman to provide an extra arm out of the 'pen.
As for swapping Kemp and Berroa, Mattingly said it simply came down to what the Phillies are looking for out of that specific bench spot right now. Kemp had not played since May 20, and he had logged only five at-bats since being recalled on May 18. He's just 2-for-25 (.080) with 10 K's over 13 games in two big league stints this season.
"Otto needs to be playing," Mattingly said. "He's too young to be sitting on the bench not playing."
Kemp was expected to serve as the right-handed half of a left-field platoon entering this season. But after getting off to a slow start with sporadic opportunities, the Phillies optioned him in favor of Felix Reyes -- who struggled in a similar role.
Around the time the Phillies recalled Kemp and optioned Reyes back to Triple-A, they also started deploying Edmundo Sosa in left field. So with even fewer at-bats available for Kemp and without a true backup in center or right field, the club decided that roster spot would be better filled by a player with more outfield versatility.
"As much as anything, it’s probably a better role for [Berroa] than Kemp," Mattingly said. "He plays all three outfield positions. [He's] usually a guy off the bench that can run, he's a switch-hitter, good defender. Just felt like the role fit him more than it did Otto."
Berroa, who started in center field and hit ninth on Friday night, spent the first nine years of his professional career in the Blue Jays organization. He made his big league debut with Toronto in 2024, when Mattingly was serving as the Blue Jays' bench coach.
The Phillies acquired Berroa from the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations on April 8.
"Just give him a shot," Mattingly said of plugging him into the starting lineup. "He's been good. I know he's a good defender, and I've seen him a little bit in Toronto -- I know he's gonna bring energy."
Kemp, meanwhile, will continue to play in both the infield and outfield with the IronPigs.
“I think he should be playing all over," Mattingly said. "The main thing is to get at-bats. Continue to work on that part of it, and just get consistent at-bats. This is just a tough role for a guy that's young and needs to be playing to keep improving."
Berroa has some experience in a part-time role, having done so at time over the past few seasons within the Blue Jays, Dodgers and Brewers organizations. As for this year, he was slashing .250/.360/.392 with four homers and nine stolen bases over 38 games with Lehigh Valley.
"That's where Steward’s a little different [than Kemp]," Mattingly said. "He's been in this role where you don't play all the time. He's a guy that wants to play like everybody else, but he's also been in this role."