The battle for a spot on the Philadelphia Phillies bench has intensified during the opening weeks of Spring Training. Rafael Marchàn and Johan Rojas are locked into bench roles ahead of the 2025 season. The competition for the two other spots is between Edmundo Sosa, Buddy Kennedy, and Weston Wilson.
Wilson and Sosa entered Spring Training as the favorites to claim those jobs thanks to their experience and ability to play multiple positions. But after Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener, an injury may have broken the competition wide open and given Kennedy a chance to cement his roster spot.
Weston Wilson’s Injury Could Open the Door For Buddy Kennedy to Make Opening Day Roster
Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters on Saturday that Wilson will be out for the next six weeks after suffering a moderate oblique strain during batting practice last week.
Wilson had a leg up on the competition for a bench spot on the Phillies roster thanks to his right-handed bat and ability to play both infield corners, all three outfield positions, and shortstop. But his injury creates a big hole in Thomson’s plans.
"Hopefully he’s back in six weeks," Thomson said via Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "It’ll take a while. It’s very sad for all of us, including him of course. Wes Wilson’s a great guy. Everybody loves him. He’s a great teammate."
The injury is a big blow for Wilson, who was looking to make his first career Opening Day roster. However, Wilson's injury also increased the opportunity for Kennedy, who joined the Phillies in the middle of last season after his contract was purchased from the Detroit Tigers.
Kennedy appeared in eight games for the Phillies and drew a crucial walk that loaded the bases for Cody Clemens’ walk-off single over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 9 but didn’t carve out a full-time role as Philadelphia won the National League East Division.
The 26-year-old made positional versatility a priority this offseason and even worked out with fellow Millville, New Jersey native Mike Trout on a daily basis to make that happen. The work has paid dividends as Kennedy started at first base in the Phillies’ Grapefruit League opener against the Tigers and he even hit a two-run homer in the 7-6 loss.
It’s a great start for Kennedy, who has never made an Opening Day roster and has a little luck on his side as he tries to open the year with Philadelphia. If he can continue to hit and show his versatility, he can be one of several surprising players to earn a roster spot when the Phillies open the year at the Washington Nationals on Mar. 27.