The Philadelphia Phillies are set to open a crucial home series against the New York Yankees on Friday, fresh off a tough series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which they dropped two of three games.
To bolster their roster for the matchup, the team made a notable move by promoting 29-year-old catcher Payton Henry from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The decision comes after the Phillies placed catcher Rafael Marchan on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 23, due to left knee patellar tendinitis.
To fill the vacancy on the 26-man roster, they selected Henry’s contract. In a corresponding roster adjustment, right-handed pitcher Brad Keller was transferred to the 60-day injured list, and Henry will wear uniform number 35.
The Phillies announced the transaction directly on social media.
“Prior to tonight’s game against the New York Yankees, the Phillies placed catcher Rafael Marchan on the 10-day injured list (retro to 7/23) with left knee patellar tendinitis,” the announcement read. “To fill his spot on the 26-man roster, catcher Payton Henry had his contract selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Brad Keller was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Henry will wear No. 35.”
Henry, who was originally selected by the Miami Marlins in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft, has limited big-league experience. The 29-year-old spent his first two MLB seasons with Miami in 2021 and 2022, and his most recent appearance in a major league game came back in 2022.
The backstop owns a lifetime .186/.314/.209 slash line over 51 plate appearance.
Henry’s promotion adds depth behind the plate as the Phillies prepare for a high-stakes interleague series, and he also could end up sticking around if Marchan ends up sidelined for an extended period of time.
As the Phillies look to rebound from their recent losses and face a Yankees team that has gone 7-3 over its last 10 games, Henry’s addition provides another experienced option at a critical position.
Whether he sees significant playing time remains to be seen, but the move underscores the team’s efforts to manage injuries and maintain roster flexibility during a competitive stretch of the season.
Philadelphia sits at 56-47 entering the matchup against New York.
