The Phillies are reaching the point of the season where every roster move starts feeling heavier than it should. With Atlanta up next and the National League East leader sitting four games ahead, the club is trying to clean up a weary offense and get the right mix in place before October arrives.
That urgency only sharpened after Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Astros, a playoff-style defeat that echoed 2022 in all the wrong ways. The Phillies had chances, but fatigue showed up again late, and that’s been a recurring problem as the season has worn on. The good news is that September’s roster expansion to 28 gave Don Mattingly a little more room to work with, especially with catcher Rafael Marchán back from the 10-day injured list and right-hander Grant Holman added to the mix.
The real puzzle now is the final postseason shape of the roster. The Phillies only need to send two players back down from the expanded group, but that decision could matter more than it sounds.
It affects the bullpen, the bench, and the late-game options Mattingly has when the pressure spikes. And with the infield playing better than expected, the overall look of this team feels closer to settled than fluid.
The lineup, at least, looks pretty close to locked in for a playoff run.
- DH Kyle Schwarber (L)
- SS Trea Turner (R)
- RF Bryce Harper (L)
- 2B Luis Arraez (L)
- 1B Alec Bohm (R)
- LF Brandon Marsh (L)
- 3B Bryson Stott (L)
- C J.T.
Realmuto (R)
9.
CF Justin Crawford (L)
Not much has changed there since the second half of the regular season, and especially not since the trade deadline. The bigger question is who fills out the bench and how Mattingly wants to handle the final few spots when Red October starts.
Edmundo Sosa and Derek Hill have done enough all season to make their cases obvious. They’ve supplied clutch production and given the regulars a chance to breathe, while also bringing energy that seems to matter in a long season. Their place on the postseason roster feels secure.
Garrett Stubbs is a different conversation. The Phillies have spent about a season and a half trying to sell him as a “utility player” to keep him on the big league roster, and the source material makes clear he’s not the kind of bat you want in a critical postseason spot.
Still, J.T. Realmuto has needed time off because of injury, or as a precaution against injury, and that makes the possibility of carrying both Marchán and Stubbs at least for the first round worth considering.
It’s a familiar kind of Phillies season: two different managers, the same uneven stretches, and the same tendency to get in their own way. But with October in view, the hope is that a tighter, more connected group can finally turn that around and play like the team they’ve spent much of the year trying to be.
In Other News...
Phillies Get A Bullpen Boost Just In Time For The Stretch Run
The Phillies got a needed bullpen addition back on the active roster Monday, reinstating left-hander Tanner Banks from the 60-day injured list as the club pushes through the final stretch of the regular season. Banks had been sidelined by a forearm strain, and his return gives Philadelphia another left-handed option as the games tighten up and every arm in the bullpen starts to matter a little more.
Christian Cairo was designated for assignment in the corresponding move, while right-hander Grant Holman was sent to Triple-A to clear space. For the Phillies, the timing matters just as much as the transaction itself: Banks is expected to be available for the final two weeks, giving the bullpen a fresh piece at a point in the schedule when there is little margin left for error. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Just Saw A Phillies Rookie Become A Bigger Problem
Andrew Painters path back into the Phillies rotation has been anything but linear, but the rookie right-hander is giving Philadelphia a reminder of why his name has carried so much weight in the organization. After being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley while working through rough stretches, Painter returned to the majors looking more settled, and his latest outing against the Braves showed how far he has come. He worked five innings and allowed one earned run, a step forward for a pitcher the Phillies continue to count on as the season tightens.
He did not get the win, but the bigger takeaway for Philadelphia was the stability he provided in a game that mattered in the National League Wild Card race. The Phillies have stayed in strong position, and Painters ability to turn in a competent, composed start gives them another arm that can help them hold that spot. For a rookie who has already been through a demotion and a reset, the encouraging part is not just the result against Atlanta, but the sense that he may be becoming a tougher problem for opponents to solve. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Deadline Bullpen Help Has Become A Serious Problem
The Phillies went into the trade deadline looking for bullpen stability, and instead they have spent the weeks afterward sorting through more questions than answers. Caleb Kilian landed on the injured list after multiple appearances, and Brooks Raley has been trying to find his footing while the relief corps keeps searching for dependable late-inning help. What was supposed to deepen the staff has instead left the club leaning on the same uneasy mix of matchups and improvisation that has dogged stretches of the season.
Raleys issues have been especially frustrating because Philadelphia brought him in to help solve the left-handed side of the bullpen, a need that only grows more important when October starts to loom. Instead, the home runs and blown saves have made every close game feel heavier, and the ripple effect has touched the Phillies postseason outlook as well as the way they can deploy their relievers. For a team built to win now, the deadline additions were supposed to ease the pressure. They have done the opposite. [Read more 🡒]