The Phillies had a chance to put a live arm with real upside into the mix when rosters expanded on September 1. Instead, they went with the safer, older option.
That means Gage Wood, the club’s 2025 first-round pick, stays put for now despite turning heads in his first full professional season. The 22-year-old right-hander has taken a clear step forward in 2026, but it still wasn’t enough to get him the call to the majors.
Wood was selected 26th overall in last year’s draft, a swing at a pitcher whose talent has always been obvious even if his college career at Arkansas was interrupted by injuries. He drew national attention with his 19-strikeout no-hitter against Murray State, the third no-hitter in College World Series history. But the bigger picture included only 108 innings over three seasons in Fayetteville, which explains why Philadelphia eased him in so carefully.
The Phillies gave him just one Low-A appearance in 2025. This year, though, the leash came off.
Wood made 24 starts split between High-A and Double-A, logging 86 innings with a 4.40 ERA. That workload works out to less than four innings per outing, which strongly suggests some kind of innings cap is in play.
If that’s the case, there’s a simple argument for pushing those innings to the big leagues instead of keeping them in the minors. Philadelphia’s bullpen has improved lately, but the bridge to Jhoan Duran still has question marks. José Alvarado and Orion Kerkering have been unreliable, while Jonathan Bowlan, Alex McFarlane and Tim Mayza have been fine without exactly building a reputation for shutdown work.
Wood’s fastball and curve give him the kind of stuff that can miss bats immediately, and even a few one-inning appearances could have given him a taste of the highest level without putting a huge burden on his arm. The Phillies passed.
With the roster expanding, the club added backup catcher Rafael Marchán from his rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list. The pitching addition was 26-year-old Grant Holman, who was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Phillies returned C Rafael Marchán from his rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley (AAA) and reinstated him from the 10-day IL. Additionally, RHP Grant Holman was recalled from Lehigh Valley, expanding the roster to 28 players.
Holman will wear No. 51.
- Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 1, 2026
Holman brings 40 big league games of experience, all with the Athletics, and owns a 4.66 ERA with 33 strikeouts over 38 ⅔ innings. In 20 games for Lehigh Valley this season, he has posted a 3.12 ERA across 26 innings.
That profile makes him more of an innings-eater than a weapon for tense late-game spots. Wood, by contrast, looked like the sort of arm who could matter in October if given a quick runway now. There’s always some risk in tossing a 22-year-old into the fire, but the upside is obvious.
The Phillies are getting older, their window is tightening, and every chance to squeeze value out of the present matters. Letting a golden opportunity like Wood sit while another retread fills the roster spot could be one they look back on and regret.
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