The Phillies’ hot August bought them some breathing room, and the first day of September brought the roster flexibility to use it. Philadelphia went 21-7 last month, trimmed ground in the NL East, and now sits 4.0 games behind the Atlanta Braves. With the expanded roster in place, the club made two Tuesday promotions that should help in different ways: catcher Rafael Marchan and right-hander Grant Holman.
The team announced that Marchan was returned from his rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley (AAA) and reinstated from the 10-day IL. Holman was recalled from Lehigh Valley, and the roster expanded to 28 players.
Holman will wear No. 51.
Marchan’s return gives the Phillies a third catcher, which may look unusual on paper but fits the way they like to manage games. Garrett Stubbs is often used as a pinch-runner, and if he leaves the game in that role, the club can be left without another catcher available.
Keeping Marchan around also gives the Phillies more options late if they want to pinch-hit for Stubbs and/or Marchan while still preserving the ability to give J.T. Realmuto a day off.
Holman is the bullpen add, and that one makes plenty of sense given how much the relief group has been asked to do lately. The 26-year-old has put together a 3.12 ERA in 20 outings at Triple-A, striking out 25 batters across 26 innings. He’s already got big-league experience, too, having debuted with the Athletics and posted a 4.66 ERA in 40 games and 38.2 innings.
Don Mattginly won’t be leaning on Holman in high-leverage spots, but he should see work in lopsided games and whenever the Phillies need to protect their more heavily used relievers.
Taken together, the moves give Philadelphia a little more flexibility behind the plate and one more arm to help carry the bullpen through the final stretch and into the postseason.
In Other News...
Phillies Just Gave Fans Another Reason To Question September Plans
The Phillies opened September with a familiar kind of roster shuffle, activating catcher Rafael Marchan from the 10-day injured list after his rehab assignment and bringing up right-hander Grant Holman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The move expands Philadelphia to 28 players, a reminder that this time of year is less about one tidy lineup and more about sorting out depth, health, and whatever roles still need filling as the final stretch begins.
Holmans call-up is the more intriguing piece for anyone watching the bullpen and bench picture, since he has not appeared in a major league game this season and arrives with a fresh opportunity to make an impression. The timing also stands out because the Phillies had already dealt outfielder Tommy Pham to the Chicago White Sox before the roster expanded, leaving the club with a little more room to experiment, even if the shape of September is still only starting to come into view. [Read more 🡒]
Ketel Martes Return Just Raised The Stakes For The Phillies
Ketel Marte was back in the Diamondbacks lineup Tuesday night, and his return gave the Phillies another reminder that Arizona can still change the shape of a series quickly. After completing the minimum stay on the injured list with left knee inflammation, Marte came off as the designated hitter in the opener against Philadelphia, with Ildemaro Vargas holding down second base so Marte could focus strictly on the bat.
For a Phillies club trying to keep control of a meaningful September matchup, the timing mattered. Marte had been out since Aug. 20, but even with the missed time he still arrived with a dangerous line at the plate, hitting .249 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs. His presence back in the middle of Arizonas order raises the level of difficulty for a Philadelphia pitching staff that already knew this series would not come easy. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face A Zach Neto Decision That Could Shape The Roster
The Angels held onto Zach Neto at the trade deadline, and that decision says plenty about how they view the young shortstop. Even with interest coming from teams such as the Red Sox, the asking price apparently never quite lined up with what anyone was willing to pay, which left Los Angeles to keep a player who has become a central part of its roster plans.
Neto is under contract through 2030, so this is not a simple case of a pending free agent changing hands. Still, the deadline passed without a deal, and the Angels may revisit the possibility in the offseason if the market shifts. For a player who has already established himself as a key piece, the next few months could go a long way toward determining whether his future stays tied to Anaheim or becomes one of the bigger trade questions of the winter. [Read more 🡒]