Phillies’ Skipper Sends 3-Word Message On New Slugger After Roster Move
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson offered a response after the team moved a young outfielder off the big-league roster.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 28: Rob Thomson #59 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on June 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) Getty Images The Philadelphia Phillies will be looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of the division rival Atlanta Braves on Sunday as they face some doubt and growing World Series anxiety. To start their eighth season with superstar slugger Bryce Harper, the Phillies’ offense is off to a slow start and the team will carry a losing record into next week, even if it is able to beat the Braves.
But the ongoing series did provide at least one highlight for Phillies fans, as outfielder Felix Reyes slugged a home run in his first major-league at bat on Saturday. “The 25-year-old outfielder was called up from triple-A Lehigh Valley Saturday as a potential solution for the Phillies’ struggles against left-handed pitching, and was tossed right into the fire for his major league debut with one of the toughest lefties in baseball in (Chris) Sale,” Scott Lauber wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer . “Reyes was unfazed, taking the first two pitches for balls and then powering a fastball 348 feet to the opposite field, sending the crowd and the dugout into a frenzy.
” MORE FROM FORBES Dodgers Superstar Offers 4-Word Response On Sudden Death Of World Series Champion By Peter Chawaga Philadelphia Phillies Demote Outfielder Otto Kemp Amid Slow Start Reyes was brought up as part of a series of roster moves as the Phillies look to turn the young season around. On Saturday, they announced that they had also recalled reliever Seth Johnson, placed closer Jhoan Duran on the injured list, optioned Otto Kemp to Triple-A and released outfielder Pedro Leon. Shortly after that announcement, manager Rob Thomson was asked about what the team is hoping for from Reyes as a replacement for Kemp, who was off to a slower start than the team was hoping.
MORE FROM FORBES Blue Jays’ John Schneider Sends 4-Word Jeff Hoffman Message After Brutal Diamondbacks Loss By Peter Chawaga Philadelphia Phillies Manager Rob Thomson Sends 3-Word Felix Reyes Message “He can hit,” Thomson told On Pattison’s Tim Kelly . “He’s a big man. But it will surprise you how athletic he is.