PHILADELPHIA — Tanner Banks wore street clothes — a T-shirt and a black hat — as he went around the home clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday afternoon, dapped up teammates and said goodbye for now.

The day after the club demoted rookie starter Andrew Painter, Banks was also optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Painter’s two-inning, six-run outing against the Marlins on Wednesday forced the Phillies to use six relievers (seven if you count the one out recorded by Garrett Stubbs). Banks allowed four runs (one earned) and two home runs.

The Phillies have had to alter their roster and their pitching plans. With Banks’ ERA at 5.96 and a need for fresh relievers in Philadelphia, the team made a swap.

“l’ll tell you what I told them: You go through stretches where you don’t play well and you can kind of see the writing on the wall at times, especially when there’s super limited arms with any type of control in the bullpen,” Banks said. “But also understanding I’ve got to be better, so having an opportunity to go down there and kind of refine some things and work on some things and get back to what’s gotten me to this point.”

Banks admitted that it “sucks” to be sent down. He’d been on the big-league roster since he was traded to Philadelphia at the 2024 deadline, and he was one of the club’s go-to lefty relievers last year. But he has not pitched well this season; he’ll have an opportunity to work on his craft with the IronPigs.

“You can look at it one of two ways,” Banks said, borrowing a mindset of saying “good” in response to adversity from a viral clip of former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink. “You can either say, ‘Woe is me,’ or you can grind it out and make the most of it and be a better version of yourself from it.”

With Painter and Banks sent down, the Phillies promoted right-handers Seth Johnson and Bryse Wilson, and both pitched in Thursday’s 6-4 loss in the opener of a three-game series against the Mets. After veteran Aaron Nola, who’s struggled to go deep into starts this year, gutted out five innings, Johnson entered for the top of the sixth in a tie game.

The 27-year-old tossed a shutout inning. He has not been able to stick in the majors so far in his career, but, as interim manager Don Mattingly put it, Johnson has been “one of the best relievers in Triple-A baseball” in 2026. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have another capable bullpen arm in the mix if he can handle it.

In the seventh, José Alvarado gave up three runs, highlighting Philadelphia’s shortage of reliable left-handed relievers. Tim Mayza has had a solid showing after re-signing with the Phillies on a minor-league contract before the season. But it’s been thin without Alvarado and Banks contributing. Lefty Kyle Backhus is currently on a rehab assignment and could come off the injured list relatively shortly.

Wilson followed Alvarado and threw two scoreless innings. He started at Triple-A, but the Phillies said he’d be available out of the bullpen to start his Phillies tenure and go from there. He’s been a swingman at the big-league level before, and he said he’s comfortable as a starter or reliever.

“We have a guy that can protect us in the bullpen,” Mattingly said of Wilson.

But Wilson, who had a 6.29 ERA with the IronPigs but put together three scoreless starts in a row before the Phillies purchased his contract, could be an option to fill the vacant rotation spot left by Painter. The club has an off day on Friday, but Mattingly said the Phillies haven’t talked about adjusting the rotation. That would mean the Phillies will need to choose a starter for Tuesday’s game in Washington.

Wilson could be the man for the job, as long as he doesn’t throw out of the bullpen in the meantime. Right-hander Alan Rangel could be another candidate; he’s been up with the Phillies as a long man before and has a 3.99 ERA with the IronPigs. The team could also potentially try a bullpen game on Tuesday depending on how things shake out, but it’s not Mattingly’s preference.

“For me, it’s not the best scenario,” he said.

There’s no perfect choice, as the Phillies were relying on the former top prospect Painter to step in as the fifth starter. As president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski noted, the 23-year-old could come back later. But Philadelphia still needs a solution behind their top-end starters for right now.

Dombrowski said that the Phillies’ current issue is not particularly unique and that most clubs he’s spoken with are also searching for rotation depth. He’s confident in Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo to carry the load. But the team will still need to figure out how it will handle the situation with its depth on hand.

“I kind of consider it part of a baseball season,” Dombrowski said. “You go kind of go through this every season that I’ve ever been through it. So I don’t think there’s anything unusual in that regard.”

PHILADELPHIA — At one point, it was strike one, strike two and good luck for Phillies reliever José Alvarado. These days, opposing hitters have been fortunate when facing the hard-throwing left-hander.

Entering a tie game in the top of the seventh inning on Thursday night, Alvarado allowed three runs in an eventual 6-4 Phillies loss to the Mets. The lefty took the defeat in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park. His ERA rose to 6.58 in 32 appearances.

“I’m more in the strike zone, staying more consistent with that, and the hitters feel confident that they can hit against me right now,” Alvarado said through a club interpreter. “It feels like 100 mph is something that they see a lot at this level. It’s not surprising anymore. They’re just hitting well against me right now.”

Alvarado said that he feels like the best version of himself in terms of his mentality. He feels like he’s throwing strikes. But in terms of the effectiveness, he is far from the version of Alvarado that had a 2.53 ERA with 14.1 strikeouts per nine in 101 outings between 2022 and 2023.

In the pitcher’s estimation, batters might have gotten used to seeing this type of velocity and stuff. Alvarado isn’t throwing quite as hard as he did at his peak, but he’s still averaging 98 mph on his heater with a hard-biting cutter to pair with it. It hasn’t led to results in 2026.

On Thursday, Alvarado gave up a hit and a two-out walk before a pinch-hit, RBI single by Eric Wagaman and a two-run triple by Marcus Semien put New York on top. The Phillies (40-35) scored once in the ninth, but it was not enough to come back against Mets closer Devin Williams.

“The ball’s coming out,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “It’s not like he’s down in velo or anything like that. Just got to get the ball to the right spots.”

At the start of last season, Alvarado looked resurgent. His velocity jumped, and he had a 2.70 ERA with seven saves through 20 appearances. Then he was hit with an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. He was not as sharp when he came back. His season ended in September due to a forearm strain since he was not eligible for the postseason.

When Alvarado returned from the suspension last year, he maintained that the banned substance he tested positive for did not impact his early-season performance. This year was a chance for a fresh start. He has been hit hard lately, and his fastball, while still high in velocity, has been down a tick compared to 2025.

The Phillies’ decision to flip Matt Strahm for Jonathan Bowlan this past offseason has been a home run in terms of pure value. But the trade put a greater importance on left-handers Alvarado and Tanner Banks this year.

Alvarado has struggled. Banks was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday afternoon in the midst of a poor season. Kyle Backhus, a lefty reliever the Phillies acquired in a separate trade on the same day they dealt Strahm, has been on the shelf since late April, though he is currently on a rehab assignment. Veteran Tim Mayza, re-signed to a minor-league contract before the season, has emerged as the team’s most reliable southpaw out of the bullpen. The group is looking pretty thin right now.

“I feel OK,” Mattingly said when asked about the left-handed relievers. “Mayza’s been throwing the ball good. Alvy’s been kind of in and out. We do feel like Kyle’s on the mend where we’re going to get him back at some point, it feels like, fairly soon. So I think we’ll be in a good spot with the lefties.”

The unit would look a whole lot better if Alvarado could regain his form.

“Sometimes, I think about maybe going to my older self, maybe mixing it up a little more in the zone, not throwing the same way right now,” Alvarado said. “Myself today, I’m just happy that I’m throwing strikes. I feel good with that version of staying consistent in the strike zone.”

PHILADELPHIA — For the second time this homestand, Trea Turner has left the game early after getting hit by a pitch.

Turner departed the game Thursday against the New York Mets in the top of the third inning with a right calf contusion. He was hit with an 80 mph sweeper that slipped out of the hands of Mets starter Sean Manaea. Turner stayed in the game to run the bases, but did not stay long enough for his spot to come up again in the lineup.

Interim manager Don Mattingly said postgame that Turner was “hit in a tough spot right above the bottom of the calf.”

“I’m not a doctor, but towards the bottom where it starts to get into the Achilles, he was having trouble putting pressure, pushing off,” Mattingly said. “Trea, with the history of some hamstring and other things with legs, he said he had trouble on defense. Felt like he was a liability on defense, so he couldn’t really move. It’s a day off tomorrow, hopefully it’ll be good by the night game. We’ll see.”

Turner has spent time on the IL in each of the last two years with hamstring injuries.

Turner has ran into some bad luck with getting hit. He was hit in the wrist and left the game early on Monday night against the Miami Marlins. He missed a game, but was back in the lineup on Wednesday for the series finale in Miami. He went 3-for-5, raising his season OPS from .595 to .608.

This is all coming at a time where the hits have not fallen for Turner this year. Wednesday’s game was an encouraging sign, but Turner’s numbers at the plate have been unfathomably bad.

The Phillies made a few defensive changes when Turner was lifted. The starting left fielder Edmundo Sosa moved to shortstop, with Brandon Marsh going from right to left field. Derek Hill moved from center to right field, and Justin Crawford entered the game to play center field. Crawford is batting leadoff.

The Phillies dropped the opener of Thursday’s game against the Mets 6-4. Juan Soto homered twice against Aaron Nola. José Alvarado allowed three runs in the seventh inning.

PHILADELPHIA — Bo Bichette took batting practice on Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park in a sleeveless blue hoodie with an interlocking “NY” logo in orange and a Mets wordmark across the chest.

At one point this winter, it seemed like the infielder might have been taking in Philadelphia from a different perspective in 2026. But Bichette signed a lucrative three-year deal with New York — not the Phillies — in January after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Blue Jays.

“We had a lot of good talks,” Bichette said of the Phillies. “It’s a great team over there. Obviously, Donnie (Don Mattingly) being over there was enticing to me. Great talks, great organization.”

The buzz about Bichette and the Phillies heated up shortly after the new year rolled around, and the discussions made sense. Bichette worked with Mattingly, who had recently been hired as bench coach before taking over as interim manager in Philadelphia, in Toronto. The Phillies had (and continue to have) a need for an impact, right-handed-hitting bat. Bichette could have filled that hole.

Bichette ultimately signed a $126 million contract with the Mets that includes opt outs after each of the first two years. But Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski admitted back in January, during a Zoom meeting with reporters after the team had pivoted back to veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto, that he thought the club was “very close” to a longer-term agreement with the two-time All-Star Bichette. He acknowledged that a deal was never done, but he thought it was going to happen, calling the situation “a gut punch.”

Did Bichette also feel that an agreement with the Phillies was that close?

“I thought it was an opportunity, for sure,” Bichette said. “But there was definitely things that needed to be worked out for that to become a possibility. So no, I didn’t think that.”

The Phillies likely would have given Bichette more guaranteed money — but over the course of much more time. The 28-year-old took a deal that gave him a high annual salary with the ability to potentially test free agency again as soon as this upcoming winter. He said Thursday that he felt like the Mets were the right fit.

“At the end of the day, I think it just became obvious to me that it was the right decision for me and my wife,” Bichette said. “There’s my family, too. But there’s a lot of parallels between the two: passionate fanbase, organizations that are trying to win. And it just became clear to me that that’s just the right decision.”

Still, there were certainly people who thought Bichette was going to be a Phillie. Maybe he would have been if outfielder Kyle Tucker had signed with the Mets instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I was a little surprised,” Mattingly said, “because I thought it was one of those that was kind of a done deal, or at least really close to it. It looked good for us. Some stuff went down timing wise and changed things. So yeah, I was a little surprised he didn’t end up here, but guys got to do what they got to do for their own career.”

Bichette has had a down year in what’s been a disappointing Mets season, with eight home runs and a .677 OPS entering Thursday. But he’s turned it on this month, batting .387 with a 1.039 in his first 15 June games. He’s still someone the Phillies could use in their lineup.

But after the way it all went down, he’s unlikely to be a popular figure in Philadelphia for this three-game series. The crowd booed as his name was announced during pregame introductions, then booed louder during his first plate appearance.

“Like I said, passionate fanbase,” Bichette said. “I watch Eagles games and Phillie games. I don’t know what the reception will be, but I definitely won’t be surprised by anything.”

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies are pressing pause on Andrew Painter’s major league season.

The rookie right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley following Wednesday’s start against the Miami Marlins. He allowed six earned runs in two innings. His season ERA is 7.06, the second-highest in the majors among pitchers that have thrown at least 65 innings.

It is not what the team nor player envisioned when he was brought up to the majors at the beginning of the year.

“We think the best thing for him is to kind of get a reset,” Dave Dombrowski told reporters on Thursday. Painter will throw side sessions over the next few days, then will make his first start of the year in Triple-A within the next seven to 10 days, Dombrowski estimated.

As for how the Phillies will fill his rotation spot at the major league level, they are not ready to announce anything yet. Right-handed pitcher Seth Johnson was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The Phillies also selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Bryse Wilson, who is available for multiple innings out of the bullpen on Thursday behind starter Aaron Nola. Tanner Banks, who has been in the Phillies bullpen since the second half of 2024, was optioned to Triple-A.

Wilson could make the next start in the Painter spot, which comes up on Tuesday in Washington. They could do a bullpen game, though it wouldn’t be ideal.

“For me, it’s not the best scenario because you’re taxing your bullpen every five days, or you have a chance to without somebody that’s taking down four or five innings,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “That puts you in a little bit of bind.”

There is a lot for him to work on. Painter’s fastball got crushed to the tune of a .404 batting average against. His calling card pre-Tommy John surgery was his fastball. He has thrown it only 33% of the time. He needs to get command of it back. It also has to look less enticing to the hitters.

Improving his delivery will be the main focus.

“Most of it is delivery-oriented, it’s what it comes down to because when he’s done some things with his delivery, which is going more directly to the plate rather than spinning off, he’s had more life,” Dombrowski said. “And you see it at times. He threw some pitches yesterday that were outstanding, but not on a consistent basis. So the feel is that when he does that, when he gives that effort going forward, his ball’s got more movement, he’s got more command of his pitches and his split looks better at that time, too. That’ll be the goal.”

The move down to Triple-A gives Painter and the Phillies more time to focus on these changes. It will be easier without the pressure that comes with getting results at the major league level for a team with championship aspirations.

“I think it was the best thing for him,” Mattingly said. “At this point, it’s hard to keep working and keep trying to get better and perform at the big league level. And he’s not the first guy this has happened to. It happens to 90% of the guys that are coming and going back. Very few guys just come and stick and then never see the minor leagues again.”

The Phillies are still hopeful that this is all a blimp in the radar and that Painter could be the star pitcher he was projected to be when he was lighting the minor leagues on fire in 2022.

“I think he’s going to be a very good pitcher,” Dombrowski said. “Again, it’s difficult. He’s coming off a situation where he had Tommy John surgery, so last year he was coming back from that. Sometimes, it takes a while to come back and be quite as effective. I mean, his stuff, his fastball is upper 90s, he’s got three good breaking balls, he’s got a split. He’ll command his pitches better when he gets his delivery refined. So we think he’s going to be a very good big leaguer.”

Adolis García officially out for the remainder of the season

The Phillies announced on Thursday that outfielder Adolis García will undergo surgery to repair his torn right latissimus dorsi on Wednesday, June 24. The recovery is six to eighth months, meaning he is officially done for the season.

In the meantime, Gabriel Rincones Jr. will take down at-bats in right field against right-handed starting pitchers. Against lefties, the outfield arrangement is Edmundo Sosa in left field, new trade acquisition Derek Hill in center field and Brandon Marsh in right. They are essentially platooning in two outfield spots, something they did at the end of last year with Marsh and Otto Kemp in left and Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos in right.

In the absence of another acquisition in the outfield, Rincones will get an extended opportunity in the coming weeks.

“We’ll see. He made a nice flash with the home run,” Dombrowski said. “But he’s gonna get every opportunity to contribute. I mean, that’s where you kind of have to see where he is too before you start making some decisions and where else you’re going with other needs that you have.”

For the first time this season, the Phillies will face off against the rival New York Mets, as the two teams meet for three games in Philadelphia.

The series will take an unusual format, as Thursday’s opener will be followed by a rare mid-series off-day Friday to accommodate that night’s World Cup match in South Philly. The series will then conclude over the weekend with a pair of nationally televised night games Saturday and Sunday.

The Phillies (40-34) are coming off a series win against the Miami Marlins, and enter Thursday second in the National League East, 6 1/2 games back of the Atlanta Braves. 

Meanwhile, the Mets (33-41) sit in last place, 13 1/2 games behind the Braves. Having entered the season with expectations of contending in the division, New York had a dreadful April, much like Philadelphia. But unlike the Phillies, they have been unable to recover, plagued all season by inconsistent performance and injuries to key players. 

The Mets ultimately took last year’s season series with the Phillies, winning seven of the 13 games played between the clubs. But the last time they met, in early September, the Phillies swept the Mets in a four-game set at Citizens Bank Park. 

This upcoming series will be the first of two between these teams over the next week, as the Phillies and Mets will also play three games at Citi Field next weekend.

Here’s when and where you can watch the series on TV:

• Thursday, June 18, at 6:40 p.m. ET: NBC Sports Philadelphia, MLB Network (out-of-market only) 
• Saturday, June 20, at 7:15 p.m. ET: FOX
• Sunday, June 21, at 7:20 p.m. ET: NBC, Peacock

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — With one out in the bottom of the fourth and Triple-A Lehigh Valley up by a run over Worcester on Tuesday, Carter Kieboom provided his squad with an extra boost. 

After receiving his first two pitches out of the zone, the third baseman drilled a middle-middle sinker into the left-center gap, scoring Christian Cairo and legging out the double for his 23rd RBI of the season and second hit of the night, following up a second-inning single.

While the IronPigs would go on to lose 5-3 at Coca-Cola Park, Kieboom managed to rack up his 15th multi-hit performance of the year. The 28-year-old has appeared in 56 games for Lehigh Valley this season — the third most behind Cairo and Bryan De La Cruz — and is batting .285, second on the team behind Felix Reyes. He has a .774 OPS in International League play. Kieboom has racked up five years of major-league experience, but he doesn’t necessarily feel as though that gives him an edge over his fellow teammates in his first year for the IronPigs.

“I just think you should know what you’re doing every day, and that’ll help you out with some success,” Kieboom said.

Kieboom, a highly touted shortstop prospect coming out of high school, was selected 28th overall by the Washington Nationals in the 2016 MLB draft. He made his way to the big-league roster at 21 years old, appearing in 11 games during the Nationals’ 2019 World Series-winning season. Following the departure of Anthony Rendon, Kieboom moved to third base full-time, starting 89 games across 2020 and 2021. A right elbow strain sidelined him in 2022, and after getting limited play in 2023, he spent the 2024 season with Triple-A Rochester before electing free agency.

The Los Angeles Angels inked Kieboom to a minor-league contract in 2025, when he slashed .319/.368/.449 for Triple-A Salt Lake in 93 games. He went 2-for-8 in three games for the Angels in September, and after spending two months with the Cleveland Guardians this offseason, he was traded to the Phillies and is back to slugging at the Triple-A level.

“I came over here so I could get some everyday reps,” Kieboom said. “I just show up every day, try to do my job the best I can, and if I’m in the lineup, great. If I’m not, then I’ll keep working, so that when I am in the lineup I’m ready.”

Kieboom called facing major-league pitching “relentless,” noting that “you’re facing the best of the best in the world every day.”

“You get the best offensive players and best pitchers in the world going at it every single day, so it definitely makes it a little bit more challenging,” he said. “But as a player you adapt and adjust to take on that challenge.”

The experience he’s built through 136 major-league games provides plenty to offer to his teammates. Having a veteran that’s gone through the highs of top-tier prospect status and lows of being a bench player is certainly a boost to the clubhouse, according to IronPigs manager Chris Adamson.

“Some of the stuff he’s had to go through is really beneficial for some of these young guys that are going through the same thing, whether it’s here or in the big leagues,” Adamson said. “Having a more experienced person get in the box has been great for us. The on-field stuff’s been good, but he can really bring a wealth of knowledge and experience on the behind the scenes stuff as well.”

Kieboom’s made his name known at every Triple-A destination he’s stopped by, and Lehigh Valley is no different. He’s less worried about his next major-league shot and more concerned with staying healthy, taking it “one day at a time” and following up a solid first half of 2026 with a successful second half.

“As long as you take your job seriously and get your work in every day, and kick around balls and throw a little bit come game time, you should be ready to go,” Kieboom said.

No more clocks in the Home Run Derby.

Per The Athletic, the Home Run Derby will feature a swing-based system, similar to the “outs” system used prior to 2014. The new format will debut at this year’s Home Run Derby in Philadelphia that’s set to take place on July 13 at Citizens Bank Park.

In the first round, hitters will have 20 swings to hit as many home runs as they can. The number of swings drops to 15 in the second and third rounds. If a hitter homers on his last swing, he can continue swinging until a ball doesn’t leave the yard. The four hitters with the most home runs will advance to the semifinal, where it becomes a head-to-head competition with seeding determined by the amount of home runs each batter hits in the first round.

Previously, players were allowed 40 swings in the first round, but all pitches had to be thrown in a three-minute interval. The pace should be much slower, with fans watching on television getting the chance to enjoy every home run off the bat.

The first-round tiebreaker is longest home run. Ties in the semifinal and final round will be broken with three extra swings.

It’s a throwback to the Chris Berman “back, back, back” days, only this time ESPN will not broadcast the Derby. Netflix, as part of a new three-year deal with MLB, is the new home of the Home Run Derby. The streaming giant will also carry the Field of Dreams game between the Phillies and Minnesota Twins on Aug. 13.

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies rookie Andrew Painter, a former first-round pick and a top prospect over the past handful of years, has had his chance to stick in the rotation to start this season. His next turn will be with Lehigh Valley.

The Phillies optioned Painter to Triple-A after Wednesday’s game. They did not announce a corresponding move.

Painter allowed six runs on six hits in just two innings in a 12-4 Phillies loss to the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. The young right-hander gave up two home runs. He did not miss a bat with his four-seam fastball.

Through 14 outings (12 starts), Painter has a 7.06 ERA. He’s thrown a total of 65 innings and surrendered 51 earned runs. The Phillies’ hope was that the stuff and command Painter had as a 19-year-old prospect would return as he got further away from his 2023 Tommy John surgery. He has been quite hittable in his age-23 season and he hasn’t located consistently.

The Phillies (40-34) have a veteran team that’s firmly in the National League Wild Card mix. They view Painter as a core piece for the future. But it’s difficult to continue trotting out a pitcher with the results that he’s gotten. The Phillies have lost his last five starts and 11 of his last 12.

The club released Taijuan Walker earlier this year when he had a 9.13 ERA through five outings. The Phillies will likely call-up another reliever on Thursday and add another starter on Tuesday in Washington. Alan Rangel, who is starting on Wednesday night for Lehigh Valley, is a candidate to take his spot.

“When you’re in a situation like we’re in,” interim manager Don Mattingly said, “that you’re fighting to not only get in the playoffs but have a chance to win it all, you probably don’t have the same amount of patience.”

Painter, in his first season back from the elbow injury in 2025, made four starts for Single-A Clearwater and 22 for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Entering the year, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski estimated that Painter would reach the big leagues by “July-ish.” With a 5.26 ERA in the minor leagues, he never arrived in Philadelphia.

But as the Phillies began 2026, Painter had a rotation spot. He has been given an extended run to pitch through issues. He’s had a handful of solid moments, but not enough to mask the struggles. He has not looked like a quality major-league starter.

Painter’s fastball has not fooled the opposition, and he has not controlled the ball. Heading into Wednesday, hitters were batting .382 against his four-seamer. On Wednesday, Painter gave up a two-run home run to Kyle Stowers on a fastball in the first inning and a solo shot on a fastball to Owen Caissie in the second. Both pitchers were center-cut.

“Early on, just kind of leaving fastballs over the middle of the plate,” Painter said. “The fastball’s just getting hit right now. I think we just gotta evaluate. Just trying to find out who I am as a pitcher right now, so just trying to navigate through that.”

At the moment, Painter is a pitcher who needs to rely on his breaking pitches. His fastball does not have the same zip as it did pre-Tommy John, and he hasn’t commanded it effectively. He can feel when he does deliver an offering with more life, but it hasn’t been consistent. The lack of a reliable heater has made it all more complicated.

“It’s very tough,” Painter said. “I think you can have the best secondary stuff in the world, but everything kind of plays off the fastball. So I think when you’re locating the fastball and you can work to both sides of the plate and kind of put it where you want it, everything just gets a lot easier from there.”

Painter and the Phillies have been grinding to improve the fastball and his pitching overall. Those behind the scenes have noticed the effort. Garrett Stubbs, who was Painter’s IronPigs teammate last year and caught him on Wednesday, said the pitcher has been “working his tail off.” It just hasn’t gone as smoothly as the team would have hoped.

“I think a lot of it is mentality,” Stubbs said. “You get up here and you want to succeed, and then when you don’t succeed, you start putting pressure on yourself, and then the snowball starts to go down the hill. So just trying to get him to get out there and have that kind of like that dog mentality that Philadelphia represents, and go out and just kind of say ‘fuck it’ and get after them.”

Stubbs said he believed the expectations for Painter in the minor leagues last season were probably too high considering he was coming back from injuries. The expectations were high again this year, which makes sense. Painter would have probably made the majors as a teenager if he hadn’t gotten hurt back in 2023. The Phillies could have traded him for a big name at different points in the past. They held on because they believed he’d be an impact contributor.

That could still be the case if he can find some answers for the problems that have held him back. But he’s been a negative for the Phillies early on. It’s fair to wonder what effect it’s all had on his confidence.

“It’s about as good as it can be right now under the circumstances,” Painter said. “It’s still just going out there and being convicted with every pitch, trying to stay aggressive in the zone. If I’m gonna give up runs, I’d rather get hit around than walk the guy, so just continue to stay aggressive in the zone.”

Phillies Nation’s Destiny Lugardo contributed to this story.

PHILADELPHIA — Following a one-game absence after being hit in the wrist by a fastball, Trea Turner is back in the Phillies’ lineup, occupying the leadoff spot for the first time since May 25.

Interim manager Don Mattingly dropped Turner down to the No. 2 hole last month amid the shortstop’s struggles this season, with slugger Kyle Schwarber moving atop the order. But Mattingly said Wednesday that the plan was always for Turner to return as the leadoff man. His day off on Tuesday allowed for an easier transition.

“I just kind of really wanted to keep Schwarb in the (No.) 2,” Mattingly said. “I always wanted to get back to Trea. The reason he was there in the first place was so he’s able to run up there. He gets behind Schwarb. When he’s on, he’s not able to run, so I always wanted him there. I just think the day yesterday gives me an opportunity to kind of do it naturally.”

So Turner, the 2025 National League batting champion who’s hitting .216, will take the first plate appearance for Philadelphia in the bottom of the first inning against Sandy Alcantara in the finale of a three-game series against the Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. And Schwarber, the major-league leader in home runs, will bat second, a spot in which he’s produced for more power.

Bryce Harper will hit behind Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh will bat cleanup, stacking three lefties in a row after Turner. The Phillies have a total of seven left-handed hitters in their lineup on Wednesday.

“I don’t mind them being together,” Mattingly said of Schwarber, Harper and Marsh, “just because we’ve hit (lefty pitchers). And right now, well, we got two righties in the lineup, so we’re stacking (lefties) somewhere.”

But there’s certainly an argument, at least against Miami, that the Phillies (40-33) could be better off stacking some combination of Schwarber, Harper and Marsh right at the top of the order since those three have been the club’s best hitters by a wide margin. Mattingly will instead stick with Turner to set the table, banking on the three-time All-Star’s long track record of success.

Turner, however, has just a .595 OPS in 2026. He’s not getting on base, and he’s striking out 22.7% of the time, the highest mark of any full season of his career; last year, Turner had a 16.7% strikeout rate. While Philadelphia’s lineup is not deep by any stretch of the imagination, Turner has been its least productive regular. It’s not ideal for a hitter with Turner’s numbers to get the most possible plate appearances.

When filling out the lineup card, how does Mattingly balance his faith in the veteran Turner with his uninspiring performance so far this season?

“The balance is the belief in what’s going to be,” Mattingly said, “in the vision of where we want to go, right? And to do that, Trea needs to be a big part of that. He can be a serious catalyst for what he does on the bases, him getting on base, pressure he puts on pitchers and things like that.”

In Mattingly’s view, the Phillies will need Turner to resemble his usual form in order to compete at the highest level. The team has been playing well — largely thanks to its pitching — so he believes it can afford to keep giving Turner chances to get himself right. So for now, Turner will get the first crack in the order.

“if we’re going to get to where we need to go, he needed to get going,” Mattingly said. “And whatever you have to do to get to that. So I’m trying to work towards that vision, but also win games as we go.”

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — This season has been a full circle moment for Triple-A Lehigh Valley right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt.

The 28-year-old grew up a Phillies fan and cheered from the stands for many IronPigs and Double-A Reading games throughout his childhood. He always dreamt of taking the field for Lehigh Valley one day, and now seven years into his professional career, his wish has been granted.

“For as long as I can remember, this is pretty much all I wanted to do,” Stoudt said. “So to be here and to now be in the Phillies organization is a dream come true.”

Stoudt was placed on the 7-Day injured list ahead of Tuesday’s game against Worcester, retroactive to Sunday. The stint will serve as a brief hiatus for what has been a stellar season for Stoudt, who has not allowed an earned run in 22 2/3 total innings of action out of the bullpen for the Fightins and IronPigs in 2026. After a month in Triple-A, Stoudt said he’s “figured some things out this season” compared to his last few seasons.

“There’s a different way I’m attacking hitters,” he said. “My usages are just a little bit different, throwing a lot more sliders, just getting ahead in the count. Being a little bit smarter about what pitches I throw when has been the big difference.”

Two weeks ago, Stoudt pitched five innings across three appearances in the IronPigs’ series against Rochester. The reliever said he felt soreness in his right elbow after throwing the most he’s thrown in a series all year, and he was subsequently kept out of last week’s series at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“My new style of pitching, throwing a lot of sliders, that puts a lot of stress on the elbow,” Stoudt said. “It’s nothing major, we’re going to take some time off of throwing and hopefully come back stronger.”

Stoudt grew up in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, just 17 miles from Coca-Cola Park. He spent his collegiate career even closer at Lehigh University, where he started 34 games across three seasons for the Mountain Hawks, finishing with a 2.97 ERA.

“Going to Lehigh, it was a great education,” he said. “Not a lot of the guys on the baseball team had the dreams and aspirations of playing major league baseball, so I feel like that made me a little bit different in that sense.”

At Lehigh, Stoudt got to embrace the program’s intense rivalry with Lafayette College. The two Lehigh Valley schools are separated by just 17 miles, and the bloodbath that spans over 150 years produced plenty of chippy moments when Stoudt took the mound for Lehigh.

“That was kind of like our World Series every time we played Lafayette,” Stoudt said. “You could definitely feel the tension anytime we played those guys.”

Stoudt’s aspirations of getting drafted by a major league club came true in 2019 when he was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round. He said getting the call was a full circle moment for him as well — Stoudt recalled meeting J. P. Crawford in the concourse at an IronPigs game when he played in the Phillies organization, and now Crawford was his teammate.

“I didn’t want to kind of fanboy over it,” Stoudt joked, saying he never told Crawford about the encounter. “I kind of wanted to be cool about it, but when you get in those situations, it’s like, ‘wow, I used to watch this guy play and now I’m in a locker room with him.’ It’s pretty cool.”

He made his way up to the Double-A level before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the 2022 deadline’s blockbuster move for Luis Castillo. Stoudt got his shot in the big leagues in 2023, posting a 9.58 ERA in four appearances with the Reds, but was designated for assignment after the season. He’s since made a second stop in Seattle and spent most of 2024 and 2025 in the Baltimore Orioles organization. 

While riding the roller coaster of minor league baseball, Stoudt said he struggled with “staying in the moment.” He would often let his frustrations from bad outings trickle into the next game, or let solid outings mount pressure on maintaining that level of performance. Stoudt said he’s been working with sports psychologists to focus on the “mental side of the game,” which he’s overlooked in the past. 

“I’ve experienced a ton of failure in my career, so I know what that feels like,” Stoudt said. “I feel like with the tools I have now I’m better able to handle that failure, and kind of just the perspective that that’s just one game, and that really has no effect on my next outing.”

With some down time away from the mound, Stoudt said now more than ever is the time to have a strong mental game.

“I’m gonna give everything to the rehab process, stay positive and know that when I come back, I can just jump right back into the swing of things and keep building on the season that I have going,” he said.

PHILADELPHIA — As the Phillies prepared to place setup man Brad Keller on the injured list on Tuesday afternoon, reliever Max Lazar was getting ready to throw a bullpen at Lehigh Valley’s Coca-Cola Park. Lazar hadn’t thrown in a minor-league game since Friday, so it was time to get some work in.

Before he could start, Lazar was informed that he’d be needed in the majors. He banged out the session, gathered his stuff and drove himself 70 miles down the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

“It was fine until I got to Conshohocken,” Lazar said, “then it was like 5 mph to 15 mph the whole way in.”

The right-hander battled traffic and made it to Citizens Bank Park around 6:30 p.m., just ahead of the 6:40 p.m. first pitch against the Miami Marlins. He finished the day with a scoreless top of the ninth inning to cap an 8-2 Phillies win.

Lazar had to rush to Philadelphia because Keller landed on the 15-day IL (retroactive to Sunday) with tendinitis in his right forearm shortly before Tuesday’s game. The Phillies’ top bullpen addition in the offseason, Keller has been inconsistent so far but still slots in as a high-leverage arm. Interim manager Don Mattingly did not sound overly concerned about Keller’s status.

“He’d been having just little stuff going on, and it kind of continued,” Mattingly said. “It was something that we felt like we’re better off knocking it out right now and not letting it get too far. So we feel good about him, and we’re looking more at the long game with him: make sure that he’s going to be available as we go forward.”

Keller has a 4.15 ERA in 31 appearances after signing a two-year deal before the start of the season. He hasn’t been quite as sharp as he was in 2025, a breakout campaign in his first stint as a full-time reliever with the Cubs, and he struggled in his last outing on Saturday.

Mattingly said Tuesday that Keller had been pitching through some nagging issues that he was hesitant to tell the club about. The Phillies don’t view it as anything major — likely just inflammation — but they wanted to shut him down to prevent it from worsening.

“We don’t need any heroes right now,” Mattingly said. “If we get into September or something and guys want to push through, you’ll allow it. But right now, we don’t want that.”

Lazar, who had a 4.79 ERA in 36 outings with the Phillies last season, is now back in Keller’s place on the roster. He injured his oblique ahead of the World Baseball Classic, started a rehab assignment in late April and was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 30. His journey between the minors and the big-league bullpen continued on Tuesday.

During his time with the Phillies in 2025, Lazar finished 19 games, often taking the ball and turning out the lights at the end of lopsided affairs. He did just that in his first appearance back, striking out two Marlins batters and allowing just one hit in the ninth. His shutout frame completed a win for left-hander Jesús Luzardo, who gave up two runs in seven innings, and made sure a big offensive showing didn’t go to waste.

In Keller’s absence, the Phillies (40-33) will need to keep counting on Orion Kerkering as the top right-hander on the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran. Jonathan Bowlan has pitched well of late and will probably be needed in bigger spots. Maybe one of Lazar or Chase Shugart could get a middle-relief look or two on certain days.

But for the most part, Lazar will likely be lower in the pecking order, tasked with helping to preserve other key relievers. The 27-year-old is healthy again and appreciative of another chance with the Phillies.

“It’s a long season,” Lazar said. “Just take it day by day and try to take care of what I can control. If there’s an opportunity, just be ready.”

PHILADELPHIA — Not even Ryan Howard pulled this off.

With his 25th home run of the season in Tuesday’s 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins, Kyle Schwarber became the first player in Phillies history to hit 25 home runs before the All-Star break in three separate seasons. He had 30 in the first half of last season and 29 in his first year with the Phillies in 2022. Through the Phillies’ first 73 games last year, Schwarber had 22 home runs. He finished with 56. He’s at 25 in 73 this season.

It’s been a different kind of June for Schwarber. Typically the best month of his season comes in June, but it was actually his worst month last year. He has been a singles machine this June, raising his batting average from .231 on June 2 to .249. It was at .189 on April 24. Hitting coach Kevin Long said in spring training that Schwarber “wants to be a .270 hitter.” His career high in a season is .266 in 2021.

Schwarber has individual goals in mind, but you won’t hear much about those from him.

“I don’t really think for me it’s about what I’m doing,” Schwarber said. “I want to win. I know that all of our guys in here want to win. We’ve been really close to winning.”

He could get to .270, but he could also once again set a new career high in home runs and chase after Howard’s franchise record of 58 home runs in a season.

Is it crazy how Schwarber is even better than what he was last year?

“Crazy is a great word,” Jesús Luzardo said. “There’s a lot of words to describe Schwarbs. It’s just remarkable to see.”

Through 73 games in 2025, Schwarber had a .912 OPS with 22 home runs and 53 RBIs. He’s at a .942 OPS with 25 home runs and 43 RBIs.

You can also add in a start at first base to the story of his season. He had a cameo at the position for an inning during a blowout against the Athletics on May 7, but Tuesday was his first start at first base since Oct. 22, 2021, Game 6 of the 2021 American League Championship Series.

Luckily for the Phillies, it was uneventful. Schwarber did not have a single ball hit to him. His most difficult play may have been a 6-3 putout to Edmundo Sosa that required a subtle stretch. The Marlins squared to bunt early, but nothing came of it. You didn’t really notice that he was there.

“I mean, I like outs,” Schwarber said with a smile. “So anyway outs are made, you know, that’s great.”

Schwarber seemed more relieved by the whole ordeal.

“They were trying to push the bunt over there to him, but he was ready to go,” Luzardo said. “I’ll take him over there any day of the week.”

For the nearly everyday DH, it was a nice change of pace.

“You get a little bit of a closer view of what the pitcher is doing and see kind of the flow of the game from a different standpoint,” Schwarber said. “I’ve played the position at some pretty important times too, and it’s a little bit nicer to kind of have your first one back here in the regular season and feel like the guys are out there doing their thing.”

PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Schwarber is making his first start at first base since Game 6 of the 2021 ALCS.

Interim manager Don Mattingly planned on getting all of his infielders at least one day off from the field this week. Alec Bohm had his day on Monday. Bryce Harper is in the lineup as the designated hitter on Tuesday.

Trea Turner was scheduled to be off on Wednesday, but his off day came a day earlier than expected after he was hit by a pitch in the wrist. He is expected back in the lineup on Wednesday for the series finale against the Miami Marlins.

“A little sore and stiff,” Mattingly said about Turner. “But he said he felt a lot better as he got here than he did when he woke up.”

Schwarber is the Phillies’ full-time DH, with the exception of 10-12 games a year when he plays the field. Today is one of those days.

He’ll typically spend a day in left field, but the Phillies are short on infielders with Turner out and Sosa playing shortstop. The only other player on the bench that can play an infield spot is third-string catcher Garrett Stubbs, who has played some third base and first base.

The Phillies flirted with getting Schwarber more reps at first over the years. He made multiple starts at first base during spring training in 2025, but the Phillies abandoned the idea during the regular season. Schwarber took ground balls at first base on Monday and has been at the position pregame taking grounders sporadically.

“We’re not gonna kill him anywhere,” Mattingly said about Schwarber. “He handles himself find out there. We have to be able to do it some, go get Harp off his feet. This is kind of the week that we’re a little dinged up.”

Mattingly has been more willing to shift guys around. Edmundo Sosa is now a platoon left fielder. They know he won’t be a great defensive outfielder, but he hasn’t hurt them badly out there yet.

“These guys have played their whole life and I know that we’re putting them in positions that they don’t really do and you don’t want to do it all the time,” Mattingly said. “But these guys are baseball players.”

With Turner out of the lineup, Brandon Marsh moves up to the leadoff spot. He has not started a game as the leadoff hitter in his Phillies career. His last career start in the No. 1 spot came on June 12, 2022, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Marsh led off with Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon hitting behind him.

Keller to the IL

The Phillies made a relatively late add to the injured list. Right-handed reliever Brad Keller was placed on the 15-day IL with right forearm tendinitis. Right-handed reliever Max Lazar was recalled from Lehigh Valley to take Keller’s spot on the roster.

Keller last pitched on June 13 against the Brewers. He gave up a season-high three earned runs. It has not been a great first season for Keller, who has a 4.15 ERA in 30 1/3 innings.

PHILADELPHIA — Zack Wheeler’s incredible run continued on Monday night as he threw six shutout innings in a win against the Miami Marlins.

But the results aren’t everything for Wheeler, one of the best pitchers of his generation. He wants to feel great. He strives for perfection. The three walks stuck with him.

“Just inconsistent,” Wheeler said postgame. “Happy to get out of there the way I did. Just a few inconsistent starts in a row. Just command-wise, just not as sharp as what I’m used to. As long as we keep getting decent results, we’re on a good road, but just sharpen it up just a little bit.”

Wheeler gave up a season-high four earned runs on May 29 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since then, he has pitched at least six innings in each of his last three starts, allowing a combined three earned runs in 19 innings. The Phillies are 2-1 in those starts.

Wheeler has a 2.01 ERA through 10 starts. He can appreciate where he’s at after undergoing thoracic outlet decompression surgery, but it’s not good enough for him. There is always something to improve. The Marlins made him work, as he threw 97 pitches through six innings.

“J.T. really knows how to navigate a game, especially with me at this point,” Wheeler said. “We threw a lot more splits today and a lot more backdoor cutters. I think those are the two pitches that kind of saved me today.”

This is the most exciting development of the year for the Phillies. Wheeler may have always believed that he would return to his normal self, or “hit the ground running” as he would say, in his return from a major injury. Nobody was 100% sure, and there were reasons to have doubt, with age being a factor and how complicated the return from TOS can be. A big reason why the Phillies are six games over .500 and in a playoff spot after a horrible April is because Wheeler is back to being Wheeler, even if Wheeler himself disagrees.

“I’m going to get through it and I’m going to take it, that’s for sure,” Wheeler said. “Especially up here in the big leagues, it’s hard. You kind of take it as it comes. Learn from it, try to pick it apart, but not too much to worry or mess yourself up.”

His trusted catcher over the last seven years appreciates Wheeler’s outlook.

“I think that’s something that makes him so special,” Realmuto said. “He has very high standards for himself and when he doesn’t feel like he’s perfect, he feels like it’s not his best stuff, but he continues to go out and give us quality innings, and give us a chance to win every time he steps on the mound.”

Realmuto on new pitch-calling trend

During a game against the Phillies last year during the final week of the season, the Marlins tried something new. The organization had been testing out the idea in their minor league system, but they finally gave it a go at the major league level at the very end.

Alon Leichman, the Marlins assistant pitching coach at the time, watched the game with a chart in hand, signaling two numbers to the catcher before every pitch. The first number indicated the pitch type and the second was the location. The catcher typed those commands into PitchCom and the pitcher threw the pitch. No fingers, no shaking and no input from anyone on the field.

It’s a big deviation from the traditional strategy of catchers calling games. The Marlins are now all in on coaches calling pitches from the dugout. The Rockies, who hired Leichman as their pitching coach in the offseason, have also began deploying this strategy. The idea isn’t spreading quickly around the league, but it could if it is proven to work. The Marlins are in the middle of the pack in ERA while the Rockies, who play at Coors Field, are last.

Coaches assigned to call pitches have more analytics at their disposal when making decisions. Teams can also direct their catchers to focus on impacting the game in other ways, whether it’s through framing, blocking or throwing runners out. Less time game planning also means more time hitting in the cages.

The Phillies will not be following suit anytime soon. Realmuto is here to lead the pitching staff. He is no longer the superstar catcher he was during his first few years in Philly, but he is a sage behind the plate. There is a special level of trust between Realmuto and his pitchers. They trust his instincts, preparation and adjustments in-game.

So how does he feel about this new strategy? About how you would expect.

“I don’t know if I want to answer that,” Realmuto said. “I’m not a fan of it, to be honest. I think there’s a lot to be said for being behind the plate and actually seeing pitches and seeing reactions, the way the guy takes a pitch or the way it looks coming out of a pitcher’s hand. Obviously, it works for them, but I think for us, I think there is too much value in what I see and what Marchan and Stubby can see behind the plate that can help our pitchers.”

Phillies Notes

• Kyle Backhus (left elbow inflamamtion) will make his next rehab appearance on Wednesday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Rafael Marchan has not been diagnosed with a concussion at this point. He left Sunday’s game early after taking a foul ball to the mask.
• After not being in the starting lineup Monday with “nicks and bruises,” Alec Bohm entered the game at third base in the eighth inning. Trea Turner was removed after being hit in the wrist in the sixth inning. X-rays were negative on Turner, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if he’s out of the lineup on Tuesday with lingering soreness.
• Bryce Harper is in a little slump. He is 0-for-13 and ran into some bad luck on Monday. He drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the eighth, but had two balls hit right on the nose for outs. His fourth inning flyout was hit at 99.8 mph, but was caught just shy of the warning track. The hits should start to fall again for Harper.
• Jonathan Bowlan threw his hardest pitch of the season at 100.2 mph in the eighth inning. Realmuto pumped his fist as Bowlan struck out the last batter Xavier Edwards with two runners on. The leadoff batter reached on a misplay at shortstop. “The first ball, obviously, should have been an out and then just not wanting to give up that run there,” Realmuto said. “For your pitchers, when things don’t go right defensively, you want them to be able to get out of it, keep that confidence and keep that zero on the board. He made some really big pitches against some really good hitters. That’s why I was excited for him.”