Phillies' Edmundo Sosa gets 1st MLB start in outfield; Weston Wilson to begin rehab assignment
The Philadelphia Phillies are finding a way to keep Edmundo Sosa's "real" hot bat in the lineup.
Sosa will get his first professional start in the outfield Tuesday night when the Phillies open up a three-game series against Chris Sale and the 1-8 Braves in Atlanta. Sosa will start in left field and bat seventh against Sale.
Johan Rojas will start in center field and bat ninth, with Bryson Stott playing second and batting eighth.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson is stacking his lineup with righties against Sale, who's notoriously tough on left-handed hitters.
In his career, Sale has held opponents to a .202 batting average and .534 OPS. In his NL Cy Young-winning season in 2024, lefties hit just .192 with a .544 OPS against him.
Sosa is 11 for 20 with four doubles and a walk in six games serving in a utility infield role with the Phillies.
After his fifth multi-hit game of the season Sunday, Thomson said the club has to "get into the lab and try to figure out some stuff to get him into the lineup." Tuesday offers the team a chance to give Sosa his first professional start in the outfield.
In Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Dodgers, Sosa stayed in the game to play center after pinch hitting for Brandon Marsh. Sosa last played center for two innings in 2023 and has, in total, 6 1/3 innings in the outfield in MLB (3 1/3 in CF, 3 in LF).
Tuesday night will be Sosa's first career start in the outfield.
Here is the Phillies' lineup against Sale.
- Trea Turner, SS
- Bryce Harper, 1B
- Alec Bohm, 3B
- Kyle Schwarber, DH
- Nick Castellanos, RF
- J.T. Realmuto, C
- Edmundo Sosa, LF
- Bryson Stott, 2B
- Johan Rojas, CF
Weston Wilson to begin rehab assignment
Weston Wilson, who entered spring training in consideration for the Phillies' final bench spot, will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday night in Single-A for the Clearwater Threshers.
Wilson suffered a grade 2 left oblique strain in late February.
Kody Clemens beat out Buddy Kennedy for the Phils' final bench spot.
