Phillies’ Skipper Sends 3-Word Message On New Slugger After Roster Move

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.

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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. 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