Catcher Rafael Marchán and pitcher Grant Holman join the Phillies as MLB rosters expand to 28 players
Both players joined the Phillies at Chase Field on Monday afternoon and are expected to be active on Tuesday.
PHOENIX — With MLB rosters set to expand by two players on Tuesday, the Phillies had two new faces in the clubhouse in Arizona.
On Sept. 1, the active rosters expand from 26 players to 28 players, which comes with a limit of 14 pitchers. The Phillies already stated their intention to reinstate Rafael Marchán (left knee patellar tendinitis) from the injured list to use the additional position player slot on a third catcher, but joining Marchán at Chase Field Monday afternoon was right-hander Grant Holman.
Both Marchán and Holman are expected to be active on Tuesday.
The Phillies claimed Holman off waivers from the Detroit Tigers on May 7. He has dealt with injuries this year, but has a 3.66 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 32 innings pitched in triple A. Holman has reached another level in 10 appearances in August, though, posting a 0.68 ERA. He struck out six and walked just one batter this month.
Holman, 26, last appeared in the major leagues in 2025 for the A’s.
He is more effective against right-handers, holding them to a .218 batting average in the minors. Lefties average .279 against him. He has a three-pitch arsenal of four-seam, splitter, and slider.
“He’s big,” interim manager Don Mattingly said of Holman. “I know that he’s been throwing the ball, sounds like the best down there, and they all thought he was throwing the ball good.”
Ketel Marte returns
The Diamondbacks got a reinforcement ahead of a key series against the Phillies, as second baseman Ketel Marte was activated from the injured list on Monday. He was in the lineup at designated hitter for the series opener, batting cleanup.
Marte had previously been placed on the restricted list by the Diamondbacks after failing to show at the ballpark for a game in Boston two weeks ago. He was later moved to the injured list with knee inflammation. Monday marked his first time at the ballpark since his absence, and he met with the media and also apologized to his teammates.
» READ MORE: ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen on Ketel Marte, their 2023 upset win in the NLCS, and more
Marte told reporters through an interpreter that he didn’t show up to the Red Sox series due to a “moment of frustration,” but did not elaborate further.
He is hitting .249 with a .760 OPS this season. Marte leads the Diamondbacks with 67 RBIs and his 21 homers are tied with Nolan Aranado for the team lead.
“I try not to worry, get into anything that happens on the other side, and what they’re doing,” Mattingly said when asked about Marte’s return.
Extra bases
Catcher J.T. Realmuto got a day off on Monday, with Garrett Stubbs taking over behind the plate to catch Aaron Nola. Mattingly has paired Stubbs and Nola for four of Nola’s last five starts. “Just seems to work out that way, most of the games, because of the guys we try to keep J.T. with. So it’s kind of worked out that way,” Mattingly said. … Jesús Luzardo (12-5, 3.09 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday opposite Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (14-4, 2.50).