Phillies will use extra position player spot on a third catcher, says interim manager Don Mattingly
MLB rosters expand from 26 players to 28 players on Tuesday, and the Phillies will likely call up Rafael Marchán, who is currently on a rehab assignment with triple-A Lehigh Valley.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — When MLB rosters expand from 26 players to 28 players on Tuesday, interim manager Don Mattingly said he expects the Phillies to use the extra position player slot on a third catcher.
The Phillies carried three catchers — starter J.T. Realmuto and backups Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs — for several months this season until both Stubbs and Marchán suffered injuries in July. Stubbs returned from left wrist inflammation on July 21 while Marchán (left knee patellar tendinitis) is currently on a rehab assignment with triple-A Lehigh Valley. In 10 rehab games so far for the IronPigs, the switch-hitter has a .206/.300/.206 slash line.
Stubbs’ positional flexibility — he has also appeared in left field, first base, and third base this year, and has enough speed to be used as a pinch runner — is why the Phillies are comfortable retaining all three when Marchán returns from the injured list.
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Mattingly believes the Phillies’ current mix of bench players cover the Phillies’ positional needs. Carrying three catchers also allows the club to avoid designating either Stubbs or Marchán for assignment, as both are out of options, and could risk losing them on waivers.
“[Stubbs] gives us a different dimension in that,” Mattingly said. “A lot of times, in that role, you would bring a guy that steals a bag. We kind of got that guy. So positionally, what we do is kind of set.”
Injury updates
Tanner Banks (left forearm strain) made his second rehab appearance for triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday. The lefty tossed 1⅔ scoreless innings Saturday to follow up a scoreless inning on Wednesday. He has not allowed a hit.
Banks is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list starting on Sept. 7. His last major league appearance prior to the injury was on July 8.
“I think for Banksy, it’s make sure we get him built properly, the fact he’s out for a long time,” Mattingly said.
Left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes, who the Phillies signed to a major league deal on Aug. 19, is currently doing long toss in Clearwater, Fla., according to Mattingly. Cortes has not appeared in a major league game since Sept. 3, 2025 after undergoing arm surgery that sidelined him for most of 2026.
Shortly after signing Cortes as veteran pitching depth, the Phillies optioned him to single-A Clearwater and placed him on the seven-day injured list to allow him time to build up.
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“We’ll see how long that takes, to see where it goes,” Mattingly said.
Reliever Caleb Kilian (left oblique strain) is also progressing and is close to throwing, Mattingly said. When Kilian suffered the injury after making just his fourth appearance with the Phillies since they acquired him from the Giants at the trade deadline, the team expected he would be out for a while. But they are not counting Kilian out from returning this season, either.
Extra bases
The Phillies released right-handed pitcher Jean Cabrera on Friday. Cabrera, who was ranked the 11th-best prospect in the Phillies farm system by MLB Pipeline in 2025 and won the organization’s internal award for best minor league pitcher in 2021, had struggled significantly this season. He posted a 7.64 ERA and 1.88 WHIP in 21 games between double-A and triple-A and was previously designated for assignment on July 5. … Zack Wheeler (10-5, 3.40 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale against Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 6.25).
With one month left in the season, the Phillies are jockeying for playoff positioning in the National League. And things are about to heat up with a critical three-game series in Arizona. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen joins Phillies Extra to discuss the wild-card race, the drama involving star second baseman Ketel Marte, and the 2023 NLCS, which left scars in Philadelphia that still haven't healed. Watch here.
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