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)
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.”
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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.
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“He can hit,” Thomson told On Pattison’s Tim Kelly. “He’s a big man. But it will surprise you how athletic he is. He’s a lot better runner than people give him credit for. He’s very intelligent, he’s a really good base runner… So maybe this gives us a little bit of a shot, a shot of energy, and it gives Otto a chance to go down.”
Phillies fans didn’t get to see much from Reyes on the basepaths on Saturday as the home run was his only hit, but the debut was certainly intriguing enough to earn the 25-year-old some additional opportunities.
In 81 at-bats for the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate so far this season, Reyes has slashed .333/.345/.654 with six homers. And after an impressive debut, the Phillies can hope he continues to provide some new energy to their lineup.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com