Rob Thomson plans to put Otto Kemp in the outfield, and it could be as soon as Sunday

Otto Kemp started at first base in the Phillies lineup on Saturday, but once he finished taking grounders on the infield, his pregame work wasn’t over. Kemp headed out to the outfield with Phillies coach Paco Figueroa.

Manager Rob Thomson plans to give Kemp opportunity to play left field against left-handed starters as a potential platoon partner for Max Kepler, now that Weston Wilson was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Kemp, whose primary position is third base, has only played seven games of left field in triple A this year. But with left-hander David Peterson scheduled to take the mound for the Mets on Sunday, Kemp’s first appearance there in the majors could come as soon as this weekend.

Figueroa, the Phillies outfield coach, has been working with Kemp on his skills since spring training.

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“Kemp, he’s a gamer,” Figueroa said. “And what I always tell the guys that are familiar with more infield than outfield is you still treat the game the same way, as far as your jumps, your routes, just now the ball’s in the air. A lot of it is just repetition, knowing balls off the bat are going to be top-spun, sliced, definitely in the corners.”

If Kemp can prove himself a serviceable outfielder, it would also make him more versatile for when Bryce Harper eventually returns from the injured list and takes over at first base.

First base was also relatively new to Kemp before he was called up to the Phillies, as he’d only played 64 ⅓ innings there in triple A. But on Friday against the Mets, he made some big plays, including a diving stop on a Juan Soto ground ball and a tough catch on a foul pop-up.

Earlier that day, Figueroa and Kemp had spent some time answering questions from a group of kids attending the Phillies Baseball Academy, a summer camp. One camper asked Kemp what the biggest difference was between playing first and third.

“It was a great answer,” Figueroa said. “Because a lot people start saying, ‘Oh, third base is more complex, and whatever.’ All he said was, ‘Third base is just a longer throw.’ So what does that tell you? You still got to read the ball off the bat, get your jumps, your route to the ball, ball security, and just finish the play.”

Figueroa wants Kemp to approach left field as if the only difference is an even longer throw. He thinks the adaptability that Kemp has already shown at first base will translate when he makes an appearance in the outfield.

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Kemp’s biggest area of improvement as an outfielder since spring training has been reading the spins of the ball off the bat, Figueroa said. But the most important thing is repetition, which is why Kemp’s extra outfield work, even on days when he won’t be putting it into practice in a game, has been so important.

“Just the way he thinks, the confidence that he has in himself,” Figueroa said. “And it’s true confidence. It’s not like I’m saying, pumping my chest, ‘I’m the best,’ but in the back of my mind, I’m like, ‘Am I?’ It’s within. So that’s what makes him great.”

Aaron Nola (rib) played catch in the batting cages on Saturday. ... Harper (right wrist irritation) has added soft toss to his routine. He will travel with the team on its upcoming road trip to Houston and Atlanta. ... Phillies prospect Aidan Miller returned to the lineup in double-A Reading Saturday after missing eight games with a non-baseball related injury. ... The Phillies will no longer face Braves lefty Chris Sale in Atlanta next week, as Sale was placed on the 15-day injured list with a fractured left rib cage on Saturday, according to the team. ... Jesús Luzardo (6-3,4.41 ERA) is scheduled to start against Peterson (5-2,2.60) in the series finale Sunday.