Phillies Add Outfielder Steward Berroa, Option Otto Kemp to Triple-A

The Philadelphia Phillies added Steward Berroa to their active roster on or before May 30, 2026, replacing Otto Kemp. Otto Kemp went 2-for-20 with one walk and nine strikeouts in 10 games before the move. The 26-year-old also struggled in left field, a position he had been learning on the fly.

Kemp had been shuttled between the majors and minors throughout the 2026 season. After an offseason in which the Phillies had viewed him as the right-handed half of a left-field platoon, he was optioned to Lehigh Valley. Steward Berroa, a switch-hitting outfielder, was claimed on waivers by the Phillies last month.

He turns 27 in June 2026 and has appeared in 30 career major-league games with the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers. 761 OPS in 168 plate appearances at Triple-A this season, primarily in center field. 392.

Berroa made his major-league debut with the Blue Jays in 2024, recording seven hits and 14 strikeouts in 37 at-bats. The Blue Jays traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers shortly before Opening Day in 2025. The Dodgers traded Berroa to the Milwaukee Brewers during the 2025 season.

He appeared in two games with Milwaukee’s major-league club before the Brewers traded him to the Phillies in April 2026. The Phillies entered the 2026 season with largely the same roster that reached the playoffs in 2025. They re-signed veterans Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, called up prospects Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford for Opening Day, swapped Nick Castellanos for Adolis Garcia, and adjusted the bullpen.

“Berroa probably will not play much for the Phillies, but he can provide speed and defense,” Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported.