Otto Kemp makes his major league debut with his family in attendance: ‘Everybody’s pulling for him’

PITTSBURGH — It was 11:30 Friday night when the visitors made their unannounced arrival to Otto Kemp’s hotel room.

That was the first clue.

“You don’t get a knock on the door with three coaches standing there for no reason,” Kemp said. “At least I haven’t had that happen yet.”

Indeed, there was news to deliver. The Phillies were putting Bryce Harper on the injured list with the recurrence of a right wrist problem. In turn, they were calling up Kemp, whose rise from undrafted Division II college player to a touted prospect has continued this season in triple A.

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“It caught me by surprise,” Kemp said before playing third base and going 0-for-3 in his major league debut Saturday. “I wasn’t giving a ton of thought about when [the call-up] was going to be and just kind of let it happen. It always comes when you don’t expect it, so I was trying to keep it on the down low and just shove it off whenever my brain wanted to go there.”

Besides, once it came, Kemp’s head spun.

There were phone calls (first up: his parents in California) and travel arrangements to make. His wife, Lily, and their dog piled in the car at 5:30 a.m. and drove to Pittsburgh from Charlotte, N.C., where the Phillies’ triple-A club was playing; Kemp hopped a 90-minute flight.

And by the time the 25-year-old infielder stepped in the batter’s box in the second inning against Pirates lefty Andrew Heaney, they were all there at PNC Park — Lily, Kemp’s brother, and his parents, who caught a red-eye flight to get to the game on time.

It was a long time coming for Kemp, even though he’s a bit of an overnight sensation.

Going undrafted out of Point Loma Nazarene, a small liberal arts college near San Diego, was “a stab to the heart,” Kemp said last month. He signed with the Phillies and began his climb through the farm system in 2022. But he really broke through last year, batting .285 with 16 homers and an .881 OPS at four levels of the minors.

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That was when he first began imagining the unthinkable: a phone call to tell his parents he was going to the majors.

“It was unbelievable,” Kemp said. “That’s the call you dream of. I was trying to keep it cool and keep it surprising, but when I’m calling them at 1 o’clock in the morning, they kind of know something’s going on.”

Kemp is batting .313 with a .416 on-base percentage, 14 homers, and a 1.010 OPS in 58 triple-A games this season. The calls had gotten louder for the Phillies to bring him up, especially with righty-hitting Weston Wilson struggling in left field.

But Kemp is a natural infielder. He only began playing left field this season and has made only a handful of starts. The reports from the Lehigh Valley staff: “Probably average,” manager Rob Thomson said.

Harper’s injury opens a spot on the infield. Kemp started at third base in his debut, with Alec Bohm moving across the infield to first. Thomson said he will use Kemp at first base and maybe get a look at him in left field.

“Whenever you bring a guy up like that, it sort of pumps a bunch of energy in the clubhouse and on the field,” Thomson said. “Everybody’s pulling for him, and it’s kind of a neat experience.”

After completing the maximum three-game term on MLB’s paternity list, Zack Wheeler “needed a couple of extra days,” Thomson said. The Phillies transferred Wheeler to a different family-leave list.

But Wheeler, who hasn’t pitched since May 29, threw a bullpen session Saturday at home, and the Phillies “are expecting him back early next week,” according to Thomson.

Thomson wasn’t sure when Wheeler will start this week. Mick Abel and Jesús Luzardo could start on regular rest Monday and Tuesday, leaving the Phillies’ rotation set until Wednesday.

Aaron Nola, meanwhile, is still experiencing soreness in his right side and will see a doctor Monday in Philadelphia. Nola went on the injured list May 16 with a sprained right ankle.

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After allowing two runs in three innings Friday night in his major league debut, right-hander Alan Rangel was optioned to triple A. The Phillies recalled righty Daniel Robert, who gave up one run and retired two of six batters in two appearances over two previous call-ups. ... The Braves claimed righty reliever José Ruiz, who was designated for assignment by the Phillies on June 1. … Kyle Schwarber and his wife, Paige, will host a sold-out block party Wednesday night at Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia to support first responders, military personnel, and their families. For information about the event and an online auction, go to Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes website. … Cristopher Sánchez (5-1, 3.15 ERA) will start the series finale at 1:35 p.m. Sunday against Pirates ace Paul Skenes (4-6, 2.05).