Kody Clemens beats out Millville’s Buddy Kennedy for the Phillies’ final bench spot

CLEARWATER, Fla. — With Sunday’s acquisition of reliever Carlos Hernández and Monday’s announcement that Kody Clemens beat out Buddy Kennedy for the final bench spot, the Phillies’ 26-man roster is set for Thursday’s opener in Washington. Clemens and Kennedy were out of options and could not be demoted to the minor leagues without clearing waivers.

Phillies president Dave Dombrowski said the team has been trying to trade Kennedy for several days and will continue to do so through Thursday at noon, when finalized rosters must be submitted. The Phillies then would designate Kennedy for assignment, which would make him available to other teams via waivers, but they can still trade Kennedy for the following week.

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Clemens’ remaining is no surprise, even though he adds a left-handed bat to a lefty-heavy roster. Since arriving via trade with Detroit in 2023, he has hit nine home runs and driven in 31 more as a part-time player. He primarily plays first and third base, but he has played the corner outfield spots, filled in at shortstop once, and, following in the footsteps of his father, Roger, he has mopped up blowout games on the mound 12 times. He has a 4.22 ERA.

“We’ve always liked Kody Clemens,” said Dombrowski. “We think he’s a big-league player.”

Clemens, entering his fourth season, will be 29 in May. He’s a .200 hitter in 146 games with 14 homers and a .619 OPS.

Kennedy, 26, is a Philly fan favorite, hailing from Millville, N.J., home of Angels superstar Mike Trout, with whom Kennedy trained this past offseason. His grandfather, Don Money, played for the Phillies from 1968-72. Kennedy plays second and third base, though he tried to convert to outfield this spring. He’s a .203 hitter with two home runs in 54 major-league games over the last three seasons with Arizona, Detroit, and the Phillies. He hit .162 in spring training, but with three homers.

Clemens was hitting .302 with two homers.

On Sunday, the Phillies claimed Hernández off waivers from the Royals and designated Bishop Eustace graduate Tyler Phillips, from Lumberton, N.J., for assignment.

Hernández, 28, logged a career-best 3.30 ERA in 27 relief appearances last season, the first of his five seasons spent exclusively as a reliever. He can hit 97 mph, and, despite compiling a 6.97 ERA in 10⅓ innings this spring, the Phillies have long coveted the 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-hander, and they are confident that pitching coach Caleb Cotham can help.

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“We’ve tried to get Carlos Hernéndez for a couple years,” Dombrowski said. “Caleb has looked at him. He thinks there’s some things he can help him with the breaking ball.”

Dombrowski credited assistant GM Jorge Velandia with advising in the move.

Dombrowski also confirmed that Ranger Suárez will open the season on the 15-day injured list and won’t pitch for the Phillies until mid- or late-April. Suárez has been dealing with a back problem (again) and, after a long layoff, he will need several outings to prepare for the season. Taijuan Walker, who started Monday’s spring finale, will occupy Suárez’s spot in the rotation.

Suárez played catch Saturday and Sunday without incident, and he was scheduled to throw again Monday.

“We’re going to be slow,” Dombrowski said. “We’re not going to bring him back until he feels good.”