Weston Wilson out with oblique strain after ‘freak accident.’ What does that mean for his roster chances?

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Weston Wilson was doing his regular routine in the batting cage on Friday, hitting breaking balls off the machine at the Phillies facilities, when he felt a grab in his left side during a swing.

There was nothing unusual about the particular swing. He hadn’t lunged or reached for the ball, so the sensation alarmed him. And sure enough, imaging revealed that Wilson had suffered a moderate oblique strain, in what he described Sunday a “freak accident.”

Wilson has never torn or pulled a muscle before, so the rehab process is new to him. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said they will reevaluate after six weeks.

“There’s not really an explanation that they gave me, other than y’all create a lot of force in your torque, and that’s kind of what can happen at any moment,” Wilson said.

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Prior to the injury, Wilson had appeared to be leading the race for the Phillies’ final bench spot. Though he has one option remaining, Wilson’s right-handed bat and ability to play both infield and outfield gave him an edge over other contenders like Buddy Kennedy, Kody Clemens, and Cal Stevenson.

Wilson hit .341 with a 1.026 OPS in 51 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers in 2024, making him an attractive bench option for a Phillies lineup projected to have five lefties regularly starting — Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and Max Kepler.

“We think Wes Wilson gets sort of swept on the side,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the beginning of camp. “He’s done a nice job for us when we’ve given him the opportunity, and he can play infield and outfield. One of the things when I’ve talked to Topper [Thomson] over the winter time, ideally he would like a club with two extra infielders on it, which most managers do.”

But now Wilson will start the season on the injured list and will be on the shelf until at least April.

“Disappointment, I would say, is the biggest word,” Wilson said.

Wilson said his strain is classified as grade 2. Assuming he responds well to rehab — which he has already begun — and doesn’t suffer any setbacks, Wilson thinks he could be playing rehab games when the six weeks are up.

“Obviously, I hope it’s pretty quick, but I’m not gonna push it and injure it more to where I would end up missing more time than I should,” he said. “I definitely want to come back as soon as possible.”

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Wilson had spent his offseason working out at Vanderbilt’s facilities in Nashville, with a particular focus on hitting high velocity pitches off their machines. He said he felt like he was in great shape heading into camp, which makes the injury sting even more.

With Wilson out of the equation, the bench battle has opened up. Kennedy has the advantage of also being right-handed, and spent the offseason working on his skills in the outfield. Clemens and Stevenson are lefties, but there is still an avenue for them to make the team.

“I think Buddy comes into play a little bit more,” Thomson said Saturday. “If [Edmundo] Sosa can play the outfield now, then maybe it’s a left handed bat. I think we got some options.”