Phillies place Harper on paternity list; recall Clemens

April 22nd, 2024

Prior to tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Phillies placed first baseman Bryce Harper on the paternity list. To fill his spot on the 26-man roster, the club recalled infielder Kody Clemens from triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.

Harper, 31, played his 600th game as a Phillie this past Friday. He is currently riding a six-game hitting streak where he is slashing .381/.462/.571 with seven RBI and a 1.033 OPS. Defensively per Sports Info Solutions, Harper ranks tied for second among major league first basemen with four Defensive Runs Saved. According to Statcast, he ranks tied for first among all first basemen with four Outs Above Average.

Originally selected first overall by the Washington Nationals in the 2010 MLB Draft, Harper signed with the Phillies as a free agent on March 2, 2019.

Clemens, 27, has slashed .270/.333/.508 with four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 11 RBI and 13 runs scored for the IronPigs through 16 games this season. From April 9-17, Clemens collected six extra-base hits in a seven-game span and registered two three-hit games during the stretch. Defensively, he has made seven starts at second base, four starts in left field and two starts at third base.

Clemens was acquired by the Phillies in a trade with the Detroit Tigers on Jan. 7, 2023. He was originally selected by the Tigers in the third round of the 2018 MLB Draft.