Even before the Phillies’ first full-squad workout this spring, it was intuitive that Weston Wilson would open camp as the favorite for the Phillies’ final bench spot. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski suggested as much before position players reported.
The moment Wilson went down with an injury that’ll sideline him for the first couple weeks of the regular season, the race blew wide open. But if anyone was in pole position at the outset of the new-look battle, it was Buddy Kennedy.
The job will probably go to a right-handed hitter. That would be a tough shake for Kody Clemens, who’s slashed .