Phillies activate reliever Tanner Banks from 60-day injured list
The Phillies designated outfielder Christian Cairo for assignment to make room for Banks, who has not appeared in a major league game since July 8. He is expected to be used in a different role.
ATLANTA — The beleaguered Phillies bullpen got a reinforcement on Sunday.
The club activated lefty Tanner Banks from the 60-day injured list, reinstating him from his rehab assignment. In a corresponding move, they optioned right-hander Grant Holman to triple-A Lehigh Valley. Minor league outfielder Christian Cairo was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Banks.
Banks has not appeared in a major league game since July 8, after which he was shut down with a left forearm strain. He made five rehab appearances for the IronPigs, allowing three hits and one earned run over nine innings. Banks recorded 14 strikeouts and one walk.
Prior to the injury, he had been inconsistent. Banks had worked his way into higher-leverage opportunities in a career year in 2025, but slipped down the depth chart and was even optioned at one point after extended struggles this season. Banks has a 7.14 ERA in the majors in 2026.
» READ MORE: Can Trea Turner rescue his season despite career-worst stats at the plate? His manager and teammates believe so.
When Banks first landed on the injured list in July, interim manager Don Mattingly said the forearm had been bothering him for a while and theorized it could have been a contributor to his struggles.
Now that he’s back, the Phillies plan to use him in a different role. Mattingly said that Banks is stretched out to 45 pitches and is expected to be a multi-inning option. In the first half of the 2026 season, he rarely pitched more than one inning.
Adding a bulk arm could be helpful for a relief unit that has been taxed yet again this week. The Phillies used five bullpen arms in the series opener against Atlanta, an 11-inning loss, and then were forced to go with a bullpen game on Saturday after Jesús Luzardo was scratched from his start with shoulder stiffness.
The lopsided 12-2 final score did help save an arm or two as backup catcher Garrett Stubbs wound up securing the final four outs. But the Phillies still used five other pitchers.
That included Holman, who Banks replaced on the 28-man roster. The right-hander needed 34 pitches to record one out after an error from Bryson Stott extended the fourth inning and snowballed into five unearned runs.
Cortes update
Nestor Cortes pitched one inning for triple-A Lehigh Valley on Monday, allowing one earned run on a bunt single followed by two groundouts. Cortes’ fastball topped out at 91.6 mph.
It marked Cortes’ second outing since the Phillies signed him to a major league deal as pitching depth on Aug. 19, and his first at the triple-A level. The 31-year-old missed most of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left bicep in October.
» READ MORE: Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo is playing it ‘smart’ by not playing through his nagging shoulder stiffness
“Still progressing, and sounds like he’s doing OK,” Mattingly said.
He added that there are no expectations necessarily for Cortes to join the major league club before the end of the season. It would hinge on whether Cortes is able to get ready and the needs of the team.
Extra bases
Luzardo is not throwing on Sunday or Monday after skipping his scheduled start on Saturday for extra rest. The Phillies will reevaluate him Tuesday. ... After Monday’s off day, the Phillies play a two-game set in Washington. Cristopher Sánchez (17-5, 2.79 ERA) will start the series opener against Nationals left-hander Jackson Kent (1-4, 6.59).
The Phillies and Braves are set to square off again this weekend in Atlanta, so it's the perfect time to check in with Jeff Francoeur, who played for both teams and calls Braves games on TV and radio. Francoeur joined Phillies Extra to help break down the race for NL East supremacy. Watch here.
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