PHILADELPHIA — Longtime Phillies reliever Seranthony Domínguez returned to the mound in Philadelphia on Friday night for the first time since he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles days before the 2024 trade deadline. His current Chicago White Sox teammate Austin Hays went to the Phillies in the 1-for-1 deal.

Domínguez, 31, has been on three teams since his last appearance in Philadelphia. He was traded again a year later at the deadline from Baltimore to the Toronto Blue Jays. Domínguez pitched in five of the Blue Jays’ seven World Series games, including Game 7, where he loaded the bases in the 10th inning on a single and a pair of walks, but kept the Los Angeles Dodgers off the board.

All Domínguez had to do when he was traded a second time was switch clubhouses, as the Orioles and Blue Jays were playing each other at Camden Yards. He’s now a backend reliever for the Chicago White Sox after signing a two-year contract with the club as a free agent.

His first outing against his original team did not go smoothly. Entering the game with two runners on, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper pulled off a double steal on Domínguez’s first pitch. Turner would later score on a wild pitch. Domínguez walked his former catcher J.T. Realmuto and struck out Brandon Marsh.

Domínguez, signed by Philadelphia as an international free agent in 2011, pitched for six seasons with the Phillies from 2018 to 2024. He spent the last two days catching up with friends on the other side. He’s especially proud of one teammate who pitched out of the bullpen with him: Cristopher Sánchez.

A reliever at times earlier in his career, Sánchez has ascended to superstardom. While Domínguez was pitching at the end of games during the 2022 postseason, Sánchez was with the team as a member of the taxi squad.

“I think he’s one of the best pitchers,” Domínguez said.

The Phillies played a short sponsored video tribute after the first inning on Friday. The timing was strange. Few in the ballpark recognized what was going on. The team probably should have had public address announcer Dan Baker announce his name.

Still, it was an emotional night for Seranthony.

“A lot of things going through my mind,” Domínguez said. “A lot of good moments.”

Domínguez still owns a home in Packer Park. He rented it out last year to Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, who needed a place to stay after being traded mid-season to the Phillies. This year’s tenant is Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, who crossed paths with Domínguez last season in Toronto.

The transaction was facilitated by Phillies director of team travel Jameson Hall.

“It’s close, it’s my first year here and it’s really convenient,” Mattingly said.

Domínguez was a reliable reliever during his tenure with the Phillies. He pitched a lot during his rookie season in 2018, got hurt, had to have his surgery pushed back due to COVID, missed all of 2020 and pitched in only one game in 2021 after Tommy John surgery. He was at his best a year later in October 2022. He struck out 18 batters in 10 2/3 postseaosn iinnings and was part of a bullpen that helped propel the Phillies all the way to the World Series.

He followed Aaron Nola and kept the St. Louis Cardinals scoreless in the eighth inning of a wild-card round shutout that clinched the Phillies’ first playoff series win since 2010. He threw the final pitch of the 2022 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, blowing a 100 mph fastball by Travis d’Arnaud. He laid his head on his glove like a pillow and said “goodnight” to the Braves.

His return to Philadelphia didn’t come with a whole lot of fanfare, but his contributions over six years with the Phillies should be remembered. That’s the life of a reliever.

“It’s something that I will never forget,” Domínguez said. “My family are still fans of the Phillies. They are still watching the games.”

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Right-hander Bryse Wilson was back on the bump for Triple-A Lehigh Valley just two days after opting out of his minor-league contract with the Phillies.

It’s been a shaky campaign for the 28-year-old pitcher who’s spent the last eight years on four different MLB rosters. Since being signed by Philadelphia in December, Wilson has posted a 6.66 ERA across 11 games as part of the IronPigs’ starting rotation. Vying for another shot in the majors, Wilson requested and was granted his release this week, but he ended up back in Lehigh Valley in time to start Friday against Rochester at Coca-Cola Park.

“Obviously it’s good to have him back,” IronPigs manager Chris Adamson said. “That’s part of the business of Triple-A in particular, those guys that are particularly more experienced kind of testing the waters a little bit. We had some contingencies in place anyway, but it was good to have him back on board.”

Wilson allowed no runs in four innings in a 4-2 IronPigs victory on Friday night.

Levi Stoudt

Right-hander Levi Stoudt has still yet to allow a run through 16 appearances in 2026 for the IronPigs and Double-A Reading. After registering 11 2/3 scoreless frames for the Fightin Phils, the 28-year-old was promoted to the IronPigs where he’s provided a much-needed surge out of the bullpen.

“I think his ability to get ahead has been really impressive,” Adamson said. “He’s been fairly resilient, too, been able to pitch multiple times in a week and give some different looks, but he’s been huge in just getting ahead, because he has really good stuff.”

Stoudt has already come in relief twice this series, registering a 1-2-3 sixth inning on Tuesday before carrying through the last two innings in Thursday’s 7-1 loss. 

“When he’s pitching, and when it’s constant strike one, he’s in a really good spot,” Adamson said. “He can expand the zone, and there’s a lot of swing and miss in there. It’s been really cool to see him grow.”

Gabriel Barbosa

Right-hander Gabriel Barbosa made his Triple-A debut on Thursday, taking the mound in a 4-1 game with two outs in the fifth. While he got the IronPigs out of a bases-loaded jam, he surrendered three more runs across the sixth and seventh, finishing a 2 1/3-inning outing with three hits allowed for three earned and two strikeouts.

While the 24-year-old has held his own for High-A Jersey Shore, holding a 1.08 ERA in five games, Barbosa has struggled in his appearances for Reading and Lehigh Valley. He was sent back down to the BlueClaws on Friday, but could continue to get occasional looks for the Fightins and IronPigs if the depth in the pitching staff takes a hit.

“I thought he carried himself really well,” Adamson said. “He had a chance for the wheels to fall off a little bit after a couple of walks and then the double, but then struck out the next three and left him at third base. From a confidence standpoint, I think that’s huge for him. And as a collective, we’re really thankful for the innings he gave us.”

New righties in the rotation

Right-handers Drake Fellows and Brian Keller have just recently touched down in Lehigh Valley, but both have already acclimated themselves to the IronPigs’ rotation.

After a brief two-inning stint in his debut, Fellows has ramped up his pitch count across his last couple of starts, dealing three scoreless innings on May 26 before settling in for five-frame outing on Tuesday despite allowing two in the first. He’s surrendered just three earned runs across 10 innings for the IronPigs.

Keller made his IronPigs debut on Thursday, going the game’s first four innings and striking out four. He allowed two runs, one earned and one unearned, and threw 40 strikes in 61 pitches.

“Fellows was really good in his continued build up, as was Keller last night,” Adamson said. 

There’s been a revolving door in the pitching staff all season between players battling injuries and moving up and down the chain within the Phillies organization. With different talent coming in and out, it gives the IronPigs’ coaching staff plenty to evaluate throughout the season.

“It can be a little challenging. At times the optics might look a little bit different, because there’s always some stuff behind the scenes,” Adamson said. “But it also gives some other guys some different looks and different opportunities, maybe some extended time on the mound, which in the long haul is going to be beneficial. Definitely some juggling, but our pitching coaches are great and I’ll lean on them a great deal.”

PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Marsh did something on Friday he had never done in his Phillies career: Hit a home run against a left-handed starting pitcher.

His last home run against a southpaw starter came on July 16, 2022, just a couple weeks before he was traded over from the Los Angeles Angels. In five seasons with the Phillies, Marsh has less than 100 plate appearances against left-handed starters.

He is getting more regular looks now against lefties out of necessity. The Phillies have yet to find a solid platoon partner for him. And at this point, he’s too good to keep on the bench no matter who the Phillies are facing.

They have been patiently waiting to see this version of Marsh.

“To be honest with you, I’ve always seen it,” Kyle Schwarber said.

2026 is not a breakout year for Marsh. He has been a very good player since his arrival in Philadelphia. His .794 OPS since the trade is third among all Phillies players (min. 1,500 plate appearances) behind Schwarber and Bryce Harper. It’s at .849 this year. He is simply reaching another level.

His flaws are well documented. From 2021 to 2024, only five qualified major league hitters struck out at a higher rate than Marsh. He has cut that rate this year down to 22.8% simply by swinging more. He has swung at 53% of all pitches he has seen, by far the highest percentage of his career. In 2024, Marsh swung at just 41.3% of all pitches he saw.

He is maximizing his contact abilities. This year, Marsh is running a .411 batting average on balls in play. It’s also well documented that he is second behind Ty Cobb in MLB history in career BABIP (min 2,000 plate appearances), a stat usually associated with luck. But the sample size is big enough to conclude there is more to it than that. Marsh can hit. As of now, he leads the league in batting average at .332. If he keeps it up, he has a real chance at winning the National League batting title.

Maybe it’s not as crazy as it sounds.

“I know lot of guys have seen it in him,” Schwarber said. “There’s such a high ceiling. Yes, he’s tapping into it. Not saying that this is the best version of him. There could be a way better version of him. You never know, right?”

It’s high praise coming from Schwarber. Both are very different hitters with similar career arcs. Schwarber and Marsh were both highly touted prospects that stagnated with their original team. Marsh struggled in Anaheim while the Chicago Cubs let go of Schwarber after two bad months during the COVID year. Both were in platoon roles as younger players.

Then their careers changed when they got with hitting coach Kevin Long. Schwarber put up his first season with an OPS over .900 with Long in Washington in his age 28 season. Marsh improved immediately under Long’s guidance. Marsh’s best year is also coming in his age 28 season.

“Kyle’s a guy that a lot of us look up to in this clubhouse,” Marsh said. “Feel like a lot of dudes in the league look up to him too. Hearing something like that from a guy like him is very special. Going to keep that one, store it and save it forever. He’s a 10 out of 10 dude and player.”

There is still a long way to go, but so far, Marsh has avoided an elongated slump. The numbers make him an intriguing candidate for the All-Star Game in Philadelphia. For someone that wasn’t even on the ballot last year, consider that an accomplishment.

PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Schwarber raced home as soon as outfielder Sam Antonacci made the shoestring catch. In a tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded, Edmundo Sosa lined a sacrifice fly into short left field, and Schwarber dove head-first to the inside part of the plate to put the Phillies ahead.

“I wasn’t that confident (he’d score),” interim manager Don Mattingly said with a smile.

The designated hitter usually makes his impact with the home run. On Friday night, Schwarber played small ball. The slugger hit four singles in a game for the first time in his career and scored that go-ahead, diving run in an 8-6 win over the White Sox in the opener of a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park.

“Glad to just get on base and get some runs,” Schwarber said. “I feel like the lineup, (Nos.) 1 through 9, there was a lot of really good at-bats.”

Schwarber leads the major leagues with 23 homers this season. After his 4-for-5, two-run showing on Friday, he still has only 23 singles on the year. With that power and all-or-nothing style in the batter’s box, it’s not all that often that Schwarber is doing something other than homering, walking or striking out. But he racked up the base hits against Chicago.

The left-handed hitter led off the game with a hit. He singled in a second-inning, five-run Phillies rally versus left-hander Anthony Kay, later scoring on an Alec Bohm double. Schwarber then lined one into center to start the bottom of the seventh in a 6-6 game.

Trea Turner walked behind Schwarber, and Bryce Harper followed with a single. After Bohm lined out, Sosa stepped to the plate and hit the ball to shallow left.

Schwarber knew he wanted to give it a shot. He tagged up and got the green light from third-base coach Anthony Contreras. Antonocci’s throw brought catcher Edgar Quero into foul territory, so Schwarber pivoted to his left and slid to the plate. He said afterward that he prefers not to go in head-first, but it was how he had to handle it to give Philadelphia the lead on his old-school leadoff night.

“It was great,” outfielder Brandon Marsh said of Schwarber’s performance. “We obviously needed it out of him. An incredible slide at home plate for the boys.”

The Phillies (34-29) added another run on a wild pitch. Despite struggling to plate runs for much of this season, they scored in a variety of ways on Friday. Marsh and Adolis García hit homers. The club made some productive outs. And Schwarber, one of the top power hitters in the big leagues, took his hits, picking up his fourth single in the eighth inning after the out call in right field was overturned.

“He’s a special, special player, a special hitter and him being one of the main leaders for our club, we couldn’t ask for anything better,” Marsh said. “He set the tone for us tonight, and we followed him.”

It was a rarity for Schwarber. He’s recorded three singles only twice in his career — once as a rookie in 2015 and once in the 2016 World Series. He hit four home runs in a game before he ever hit four singles in one. But there’s a first for everything. While homers might do more damage, there’s nothing wrong with base hits every now and then.

“Heck, I’ll take singles any day of the week versus making outs,” Schwarber said.

Jhoan Duran stays hot in closer role

Phillies closer Jhoan Duran shut down the White Sox for his 15th save of the season on Friday. Dating back to last year, he’s converted his last 16 save opportunities in a row to set a career high, according to the Phillies. He’s faced the minimum three batters in five straight saves, the longest such streak in one-inning saves by any pitcher in Phillies history.

Philadelphia has leaned on Duran of late, and he has delivered with a 1.21 ERA in 21 appearances. With the flamethrower in this kind of groove, how would Marsh plan to face him?

“Just walk back to the dugout,” Marsh said. “I don’t know. He’s amazing. I feel like he can execute any of pitch of his. He’s never out of it. … He’s been nails for us. We’re gonna keep relying on him at the end of games and hopefully be in a position to have him pitch for us a lot more this year.”

Advanced defensive metrics grade the Phillies as one of the worst defensive teams in baseball this season. But their corner outfield hasn’t been all that bad.

Adolis García grades out as one of the best defensive corner outfielders so far this season. Brandon Marsh is hovering around league average defense.

García has made four five-star catches, according to outfield catch probability. That’s fifth-most in the majors. Five-star catches are ones with catch probabilities no higher than 25 percent.

Catch probability is calculated by using four factors: the distance traveled by an outfielder, how long it takes an outfielder to get to a spot, the direction an outfielder needs to take and was being close to the outfield wall a factor in the play.

Every batted ball into the outfield is then assigned a catch probability that’s based on how often outfielders have made the play under similar circumstances dating back to 2015.

Here are the best Phillies catches this season by catch probability.

Adolis García, April 30 vs. San Francisco Giants: 15% catch probability

Adolis García, May 19 vs. Cincinnati Reds: 15% catch probability

Adolis García, March 28 vs. Texas Rangers: 25% catch probability

Adolis García, May 30 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: 25% catch probability

Brandon Marsh, May 7 vs. Athletics: 30% catch probability

Justin Crawford, May 16 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: 55% catch probability

Justin Crawford, April 24 vs. Atlanta Braves: 55% catch probability

As they look to continue their stellar homestand this weekend, the Phillies welcome one of the season’s most surprising teams to Citizens Bank Park.

Just two years ago, the Chicago White Sox had one of the worst seasons in MLB history, putting up an abysmal 41-121 record. Even last season, the White Sox sat comfortably at the bottom of their division, going 60-102. But this year’s squad has been a very different story.

Through 62 games in 2026, the White Sox are 33-29, good for second place in the AL Central. Just two games back of the first-place Guardians, Chicago is having their best start to a season since 2021, when they won 93 games and made the playoffs.

This series, the Phillies will avoid White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami, the 26-year-old rookie sensation from Japan and the engine of Chicago’s offense. Murakami has 20 home runs and a .938 OPS so far this season, but he’s been on the IL since May 30 with a strained hamstring. But despite his absence, the White Sox have a promising young lineup, which Phillies pitchers will have to navigate carefully.

Meanwhile, the Phillies are 33-29 overall, and 8-3 over their last 11 games, including two three-game sweeps of the San Diego Padres. Fresh off one such sweep at Citizens Bank Park, they will look to keep things rolling at home. 

The Phillies and White Sox play a night game Friday, followed by an evening start time Saturday and a Sunday afternoon finale.

All three games will be broadcast locally. Here’s when and where you can watch the series on TV:

• Friday, June 5, at 6:40 p.m. ET: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Saturday, June 6, at 4:05 p.m. ET: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Sunday, June 7, at 1:35 p.m. ET: NBC Sports Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies, after sweeping the San Diego Padres for the second time in two weeks, are a season-high four games over .500 (33-29). They scored six runs in a game for the first time since May 17. They also recorded double-digit hits in a game for the first time since May 15. Since that day, the Phillies are a remarkable 12-6. They are surviving, not thriving. It could be worse.

They won a different kind of ballgame on Thursday. Starter Zack Wheeler had a no-hitter through five, but lost it in the sixth and gave up a long two-run home run to Manny Machado in his last inning. Late hits are typically back-breakers, but the Phillies built Wheeler enough of a lead.

With two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the fourth, Bryson Stott fought off a pitch in on his hands. He hit it at just 62.5 mph. The ball had a .180 expected batting average, but it found a wide-open hole on the left side. Manny Machado sulked as the ball got past the infield.

It was the Phillies’ softest RBI base hit of the season, but it gave them the lead at a time when runs are hard to come by.

An inning later, Adolis García crushed a hanging curveball from Giolito deep into the left field seats to make it 2-0. After enduring a never-ending slump in May, García is climbing out of it. He went 3-for-10 with two extra-base hits in the Padres series.

The Phillies also capitalized on the Padres’ misfortunes. Justin Crawford stole second in the seventh, then reached third on a throwing error by the catcher Freddy Fermin. Trea Turner drove him in on an RBI single and he would later reach third on a wild pickoff throw and score on a throw to home on a ground ball only he is capable of beating out.

After getting torched by the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves for two straight weeks in April, it must feel good to be on the other side of a beating. Since 1901, the Phillies have swept an opponent over a season series of at least six games only four times: last year against the Rockies, 2005 against the Padres and 2004 against the Brewers.

Two months into the season, the Phillies have an identity. The rotation got off to a terrible start, but it’s clear that they have enough to be a playoff team on pitching alone. The lineup has not been good, but there will be days where the pitching isn’t perfect and the lineup carries the load. Its been a while — nearly three weeks to be exact — but it happened again.

Despite all of this, the Phillies would be playing in the wild card round if the season were to end today. There is still so much baseball left, but through 62 games, everyone has a good sense of who the Phillies are.

They are must-see TV when Cristopher Sánchez and Wheeler are lined up to pitch in back-to-back games. Both pitched seven innings. Both could be All-Stars in Philadelphia next month. Wheeler even said that part of his motivation to return from thoracic outlet decompression surgery was to make a case to pitch in the All-Star Game.

“Build back up and hit the ground running so I can try to accomplish that,” Wheeler said.

PHILADELPHIA — Adolis García flipped his bat forward and watched with his arms outstretched. It had been a while since he had a moment like that as he fell into a 24-game, nearly month-long power drought. So when Padres starter Lucas Giolito threw a hanging breaking ball in the bottom of the fourth inning, the outfielder punished it and admired his work.

“That’s me,” García said. “I pimp every homer.”

García hit his first home run since May 6 on Thursday afternoon in a 6-4 Phillies win at Citizens Bank Park to complete a three-game sweep of San Diego. Signed to a one-year deal before the season to play right field, the right-handed batter has struggled at the plate for much of the year. But García made an impact in this Padres series, recording hits in all three games and blasting his fifth homer of 2026 in the finale.

Interim manager Don Mattingly gave García a day off last Tuesday (although he was needed after Brandon Marsh was removed from the game) and thought about sitting him again this Tuesday. He decided against it after the 33-year-old spent time working at the ballpark on Monday’s off day and early before the series opener. Hitting coach Kevin Long felt that García was in a good spot, so Mattingly chose to “hang with” him.

“I think the hitting coaches and I, we’ve been working really hard on finding my swing and getting to that swing that characterizes me as a hitter,” García said through a team interpreter.

At least for three games, Mattingly’s patience paid off. García went 3-for-10 against San Diego with a double on Wednesday and a solo shot on Thursday. He stole one base, struck out three times and drew no walks. He didn’t take over the series, but his at-bats improved significantly.

“His takes are better,” Mattingly said Thursday morning. “You can see his rhythm’s better. You have a little success, the confidence comes back.”

García was an All-Star and a postseason hero with the Texas Rangers in 2023, then posted back-to-back down years. The Phillies brought him in with the hope that he could bounce back in Philadelphia and provide some much-needed right-handed pop. His glove has been a weapon, but his bat has been lacking. The Phillies hope his recent stretch has been the start of a turnaround.

“It’s not like this is a guy that’s never hit before that’s had a little success,” Mattingly said. “This is a guy that’s hit before, and confidence is huge. I know we can’t really measure it, but it’s huge.”

García is still hitting just .196 with a .591 OPS in 61 games. He has a long way to go before any declarations can be made. But any extended period with García hitting would be a boost.

The Phillies (33-29) have been winning of late despite their difficulties with scoring runs. It’s worked, but it’s a tough way to live. They finally scored more than four runs for the first time since May 18 on Thursday. García’s homer helped. The offense tacked on three late runs to secure a victory for right-hander Zack Wheeler, who allowed two runs in seven innings.

The club will need more from the bats this summer. And if García wants to ensure that he remains a regular and a contributor for the Phillies, he’ll need to keep rolling. It was a rough month of May as he batted .125 with just three extra-base hits. It will be intriguing to monitor whether or not his additional work can make it a more productive June.

“You just have to keep working and trying to get better,” García said, “because that’s how you get out of it.”

Voting for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia is open.

If you want to see as many Phillies in the All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia, the best thing you can do is vote online.

Phase one of voting officially began on Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET. Fans can vote on the eight position players and designated hitter that will be featured in the starting lineup for the American League and National League in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.

The top vote-getter in each league automatically receives an All-Star nod. At all other positions, the top two vote-getters move on to phase two of voting to determine who will start in the All-Star Game.

Philly fans can stuff the ballot boxes. Sort of. In phase one, which runs until June 25, fans can vote up to five time per day. In phase two from June 25 to June 29, fans can vote only once per day.

Fans do not vote on pitcher selections. The player ballot and the commissioner’s office determine the pitching staff and reserves. All 30 teams are represented in the All-Star Game, so there will be some notable omissions.

But the home team is usually well represented. Here are the Phillies that are performing well enough to be in consideration for the All-Star Game.

Position Players

• Kyle Schwarber: The bigger question is whether or not Schwarber will be participating in the Home Run Derby. He currently leads the majors in home runs with 23. We could all hope for another swing-off, right?

• Bryce Harper: It would be special to see Harper represent the Phillies in the All-Star Game after being part of the event’s announcement seven years ago during his first season with the Phillies. Harper is another Derby candidate, though he told reporters on Wednesday, including On Pattison’s Tim Kelly, that he is unsure if he wants to participate. He will only do it if he is named to the All-Star team.

• Brandon Marsh: It’s crazy to think that Marsh wasn’t even on the All-Star ballot last year. Nick Castellanos, Max Kepler and Johan Rojas were the three Phillies outfielders fans could vote on. Now, he is second in the league in batting average, the cleanup hitter against right-handed starting pitchers and a real candidate to make his first All-Star appearance this year. He could be voted in as a starter if fans vote in droves, but it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Marsh named as a reserve or a replacement at some point if he keeps producing the way he has so far.

Pitchers

• Cristopher Sánchez: There was a lot of anger and frustration last year when Sánchez did not make the initial All-Star roster. He was not named as a replacement because he was scheduled to start the Sunday before the game. The Phillies paid out the All-Star bonus in his contract anyway. Sánchez will not be an afterthought this time around. Barring a disastrous June, Sánchez is the sentimental favorite to start the game. That decision is up to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

• Zack Wheeler: He missed all of April, but don’t rule out a strong stretch propelling Wheeler to his fourth All-Star appearance in a Phillies uniform. Entering Thursday’s start against the Padres, Wheeler is 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA.

• Jesús Luzardo: An ERA over 4 might make his All-Star case a tough sell, but Luzardo has a very low 2.76 FIP. His strikeout numbers make him one of the more valuable pitchers in the league, according to FanGraphs WAR. A strong few weeks makes his case a bit more compelling than it is now.

• Jhoan Duran: The Phillies are 27-0 this year when leading after eight innings. He is not the only star closer in the National League; the Padres have another in Mason Miller. But Duran has been as good as advertised and is on the path to seeing what his famous entrance looks like on the All-Star stage.

• Orion Kerkering: Kerkering had an All-Star case a couple years ago in 2024. He’s having a nice season so far, posting a 2.42 ERA in 22 1/3 innings. He doesn’t have the strikeout numbers that other star relievers possess, but he is limiting hard contact at an elite level. He should not be overlooked as a potential All-Star candidate.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — IronPigs manager Chris Adamson described Seth Johnson as a “unicorn” for “the way the ball comes out of his hand.” And at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the right-hander’s delivery has been utilized in a number of important spots.

Across 20 relief appearances for Lehigh Valley in 2026, Johnson has steadily dropped his ERA down to 1.54, scattering four earned runs across 23 1/3 innings pitched. He allowed just one run throughout all of May and started June with a shutout frame on Wednesday.

Enjoying multiple statistical bests in his third season with the IronPigs, Johnson said he’s stayed composed all year.

“It’s just trusting all the work I put in in the offseason, and when the moment comes and it gets a little stressful, just trusting that I’ve done everything I need to do,” Johnson said.

Johnson, 27, was primarily used as a low-leverage reliever for the IronPigs in 2025, but has found himself in a new role this time around. He’s become Adamson’s go-to closer as of late, commanding the ninth inning in multiple games each series. 

He’s been effective, going 5-for-5 in save opportunities thus far.

“It’s been fun,” Johnson said about the transition into becoming a closer. “I like the adrenaline rush I get running in there in a close game and getting to beat them out.”

Along with developing into the IronPigs’ best high-leverage arm, Adamson said Johnson is “learning some of the finer arts of pitching.”

“His ability to hold the ball for different periods of time, he does a good job if the hitter’s already used their timeout and he’s trying to freeze them,” he said. “It’s been pretty impressive, the game within the game with him.”

While Johnson will continue to take the ninth inning, Adamson said the team’s been testing him with different scenarios. For example, Johnson took the mound in the eighth inning of Sunday’s win over Buffalo and proceeded to come out for the ninth as well, as part of Adamson’s plan to expose him to multiple-inning outings. Additionally, Adamson said he’ll continue to be considered in tight games where he may need to clear through the middle of the opposing lineup a little earlier on than the ninth.

“I think it’s if nothing more, just some self-belief,” Adamson said. “Him believing that he’s good enough, because he will and truly is.”

Johnson was selected 40th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2019 MLB draft, and was later traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2022. He was sent to Philadelphia during the 2024 season in a deal for Gregory Soto, making his major-league debut with the Phillies that September.

While Johnson has found minor-league success, he has not yet established himself in the majors. He’s made 14 appearances for Philadelphia across the past three seasons, but has struggled with a 8.68 ERA.

He most recently spent a few games at the big-league level in April, allowing three earned runs across 3 2/3 innings of action.

“Those appearances are tough to come by, so when you’re out there, you kind of gotta make the most of it,” Johnson said. “It kind of helps you lock in a little bit when you are out there.”

Johnson’s evolution into a high-leverage pitcher in the Lehigh Valley could earn him another look with the Phillies at some point. While Don Mattingly has several right-handed relievers he can lean on, the arms tend to get shuffled at different times throughout the year. If Johnson can continue to pitch well in high-pressure situations, perhaps he’ll get another chance if the Phillies end up needing a reliever.

“Make sure the body’s in a good spot to go out there, and when the name’s called, be ready to go full-throttle,” Johnson said.

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Phillies prospect Keaton Anthony made his return to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday after recovering from a broken foot suffered during spring training.

The 24-year-old went 2-for-5 at the plate in the IronPigs’ 8-7 loss to Rochester with an RBI double in the sixth inning that scored Liover Peguero. Anthony played the entire game at first base, where he made 31 starts for the IronPigs in 2025.

The return capped off a three-month-long rehab process for Anthony, who started 2026 on the injured list after going down in early March. He started his assignment with Low-A Clearwater on May 5, batting .364 with two home runs for the Threshers in seven games. He hit the same stride at High-A Jersey Shore, hitting .417 across four games for the BlueClaws, which was enough to put him back in the swing of things at Lehigh Valley.

“He said he feels great,” IronPigs manager Chris Adamson said. “He was actually pretty antsy to get back here, kind of wanted to cut it short, but they’re just making sure that he checked all the boxes on his way back here. He’s going to be a big addition to the lineup, hit in the heart of it and provide some more protection for those guys above him. Really excited to have him back.”

Anthony went 0-for-3 with a walk as the designated hitter in Lehigh Valley’s 5-3 loss on Wednesday. Adamson said Anthony will also be getting reps in the outfield on days when Felix Reyes or Otto Kemp get the nod at first base. With Reyes getting consistent reps in left field, Anthony will likely be the guy that gets plugged in when he moves to the infield.

“We’re gonna have to get a little bit creative with a lot of the playing time now that guys are back healthy, which is a nice problem to have,” Adamson said. “I can envision him getting at least some reps out there to give either Felix some time at first base or Kemp can be in that mix as well. So there’s quite a few options right now.”

Anthony signed with the Phillies in 2023 after going undrafted out of the University of Iowa. He has not batted under .300 across a full season since, finishing with a .323 average in 82 games across Double-A Reading and the IronPigs in 2025.

PHILADELPHIA — Cristopher Sánchez’s incredible run of holding opponents scoreless is over.

An RBI single by San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill in the seventh inning on Wednesday night broke Sánchez’s historic scoreless streak at 50 2/3 innings. It is the fifth-longest in MLB history.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto was still kicking himself after the game for calling a sinker inside to Merrill. 

“Probably could have called anything else, it would have been a swing-and-miss maybe,” Realmuto said after the Phillies’ 3-2 win over the Padres.  

The streak was going to end eventually. Maybe it was right that the fans in attendance who packed the park on a Wednesday night got a chance to celebrate his stretch of dominance. They applauded loudly after every scoreless inning. The game stopped for just under a minute as fans stood and cheered after the streak ended at 50 2/3 innings. Sánchez flashed a smile to his teammates in the dugout. 

“I’ll be forever grateful to these fans, to the city,” Sanchez said through team interpreter Diego D’Anielo. “Best fans in the world.” 

“That’s who our fans are,” Realmuto said. “They appreciate greatness. … I also thought it was cool that (home plate umpire) Hunter (Wendelstedt) called a timeout to give him that moment, give him that time. Not every umpire would have done that. For him to have that feel and give our fans the opportunity to really celebrate him was special.” 

Plenty of history was made in the process. Sánchez joined Orel Hershiser as the only starting pitcher in the Live Ball era to not allow a single earned run in a calendar month. He did not allow a single run in his five May starts.

He also holds the longest scoreless streak among left-handed pitchers in Major League Baseball history. Carl Hubbell (44 2/3 innings in 1933) had the original record. Sánchez also now has the longest scoreless streak in Citizens Bank Park history at 34 2/3 innings. Roy Halladay in 2010 previously held the record at 33 innings.

“I’m gonna need a little time to embrace this,” Sanchez said. “To fully acknowledge that it happened. As of right now, I still can’t believe that it did. I still can’t believe that we’re in this position. I think once the season is over and I’m home with my family, maybe that’s when I start thinking about what actually happened here.” 

Sánchez’s night was over after seven innings and just 84 pitches. Interim manager Don Mattingly sensed through the pitcher’s body language that the last inning wore on him That and Realmuto’s go-ahead home run in the bottom half of the seventh inning that put Sánchez in line for the win made the decision easy. 

“I said to him about every inning, ‘Hey, we’re going to get you some runs here,’” Realmuto said. “Didn’t happen for a while, so it was nice to finally get him some.”

“My vocabulary is probably not good enough for him right now,” Mattingly said. “It’s just been amazing to watch.” 

PHILADELPHIA — Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller will undergo a procedure to address the pain in his lower back that has continued to keep him off the field this season, the club announced Wednesday. The organization hopes that the former first-round pick can return to game action in the next six to eight weeks.

“We’re talking about August for him to get out on the field and start playing,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi said.

Miller, 21, will undergo radiofrequency ablation of the facet joints on Friday, the Phillies said. RFA is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure that applies heat to targeted nerves, according to Penn Medicine; the treatment can relieve pain for “several months or even up to a year or more.”

“It’s supposed to fix the issue,” Dombrowski said. “So we’ll wait and we’ll see.”

Sidelined since spring training, Miller has been diagnosed with discogenic pain and facet inflammation in the lumbar spine, the Phillies said. After trying to resume baseball activities, Miller’s back pain returned. He saw specialists at times during the last three months, and they agreed that RFA was “the next logical step.”

“It’s a very complicated situation,” Dombrowski said, “just like a lot of things where you deal with multiple muscles and joints. And there’s been kind of a feeling — they know where it is. It’s a matter of eliminating the pain.”

This is the first time Miller, who dealt with back pain last season, has been recommended to undergo this procedure, according to Dombrowski.

Miller will rest for a week after his procedure before continuing his rehab program with a goal to begin playing again within that six-to-eight-week timeline.

“In another week,” Dombrowski said, “he’ll start ramping up.”

The club wants to continue taking a precautious approach with the 21-year-old. They’ll continue to consult with doctors.

“Sometimes you might say, ‘Well, let’s push through this. Let’s push through that,'” Dombrowski said. “And it’s a youngster with a back (issue), and that’s not the route we’re choosing or the doctors are choosing.”

Miller, a right-handed-hitting infielder, hit .264 with 14 home runs, 59 stolen bases and an .825 OPS in 116 minor-league games last season, taking off in the second half for Double-A Reading and earning a promotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley at the end of the year. With the Phillies struggling for production out of the righty batter’s box, perhaps Miller could have pushed for a call to the big leagues with a strong start to the 2026 season. Maybe it could still be in the cards later this year, if this procedure indeed helps get Miller back on the field in a timely fashion. But the Phillies aren’t counting on it.

“I don’t know where this takes us,” Dombrowski said. “I’d say it’s hard. If he doesn’t start playing (in the minor leagues) until August 1, I’d say that’d be very difficult. But I can’t say, because if he comes back in six weeks and tears the cover off the ball, you never can tell. That’s not really at the top of our mind.”

Phillies Nation’s Ty Daubert contributed to this story

After 59 games, Nick Castellanos is no longer a San Diego Padre. The former Phillie was designated for assignment on Wednesday with the team in his former home city of Philadelphia. Castellanos was on the Padres roster for the series opener against Philadelphia, but not in the starting lineup. 

“Nick is such a pro,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “I really enjoyed having him in San Diego. We had conversations with him when we signed him that he was going to earn his playing time and it was probably going to be a different role. It wasn’t going to be an everyday role that he has been accustomed to for the last 12-15 years of his entire life playing baseball. 

“And I think it was definitely something that was tough for him. It was tough for him to transition from playing every single day to playing two days, then two days off, play another day and another day off. It was a difficult transition to him. It’s something that he probably didn’t love either, you know. In the end, it didn’t feel comfortable for him. So I think the conversations that we had back and forth were great, great communication, but just decided to make a move and change the roster up a little bit.” 

Castellanos was asked to be a part-time player in San Diego, something he did not embrace in his time in Philadelphia. He gave it a try, but it didn’t work out. He batted .191 with four home runs in his time with the Padres. The club opted for more youth and versatility. 

He’s going home to be a Padre. 

“It just felt like trending toward the direction that he wasn’t very comfortable in that (part-time) role,” Stammen said. “For him personally, I know he’s got a lot going on with his family and wanting to be around his kids a lot. Maybe this is an opportunity for that, but maybe an opportunity for him to go somewhere else and find a place where he can play every day.”

Castellanos had conversations with Stammen and Padres general manager A.J. Preller over the last few weeks about his role and playing time. Castellanos was critical of former manager Rob Thomson’s communication style in Philadelphia. Castellanos spoke about the communication with the Padres higher ups last week when the Phillies were in San Diego.

“Front office consistently asking questions about how I see things, and when they talk back to me, it’s straight,” Castellanos said last week. “Which is great, because then I know what’s up. I don’t have to think or speculate, or, ‘What did they really mean by that?’”

San Diego expected to have some sort of roster logjam when they signed a handful of veterans in spring training. In the end, others outperformed Castellanos. 

“I have so much respect for Nick Castellanos,” Stammen said. “He was so much fun to have on our team. He came up with some huge hits throughout the year, played at times really good for us. But his roster fit with Miguel Andujar, Ty France, Nick Castellanos, all three on the roster at the same time, we kind of left spring training thinking it was going to be a battle. Two of those three guys were going to stick around and one was probably going to be the odd man out if we ever decided to make a change with the roster. Miguel and Ty have been two of our best hitters thus far, and that’s kind of the nature of baseball and how things work out.” 

Cristopher Sánchez just had a month for the ages.

Across five starts in May, Sánchez tossed 39 scoreless innings, striking out 45 batters while walking only three. He pitched at least seven innings in each of his starts, going eight innings twice and throwing one shutout, on May 16, in which he struck out 13 Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Sánchez will look to keep things rolling in June, as he enters the month with an active 44 2/3 innings scoreless streak that dates back to his April 30 start against the Giants. 

But regardless of how long Sánchez’s streak lasts, his May 2026 is set in stone as one of the best calendar months put ever together by a Phillies pitcher. To put this historic stretch into perspective, it’s worth looking back at some of the best individual months put together by other Phillies aces.

Zack Wheeler, June 2025 (5 GS, 31 IP, 0.58 ERA) 

Shortly before his 2025 was derailed by thoracic outlet syndrome, Zack Wheeler had arguably the best month of his Phillies career. 

Throwing 31 innings across five starts, Wheeler struck out 42 batters while walking just seven. The 35-year-old ace really heated up as June went on, allowing no runs across his final three starts of the month. 

Wheeler capped off the month with a dominant start against the San Diego Padres on June 30, throwing eight shutout innings in which he struck out 10, walking none.

This dominance extended into Wheeler’s first start of July, when he threw a one-run, 12-strikeout complete game against the Cincinnati Reds. But he would struggle soon afterwards, with thoracic outlet syndrome cutting his season short in mid-August.  

Aaron Nola, August 2018 (5 GS, 34 IP, 1.06 ERA)

2018 was the best season of Aaron Nola’s career, and it also contained his best month. The Phillies of August 2018 found themselves slowly slipping out of National League playoff contention. But the fault was not with their 25-year-old ace.

Throwing 34 innings over five August starts, Nola struck out 35 batters and walked nine, while allowing just one home run all month. Nola went at least six innings each time out, and allowed just two runs across his final four starts of the month.

Perhaps the highlight of the month was Nola’s August 23 start, in which he matched up against fellow Cy Young contender Max Scherzer in Washington. Nola outdueled the future Hall of Famer, throwing eight shutout innings in which he struck out nine batters while walking just one in a 2-0 Phillies win. Five days later, the two pitchers again faced off, this time in Philadelphia. While Nola again outmatched Scherzer, the Phillies bullpen blew this game in the ninth, adding to their late-season skid.  

Cole Hamels, June 2014 (6 GS, 44 IP, 1.23 ERA)

If you ask most Phillies fans, they will say that October 2008 was the best month of Cole Hamels’ career. And while they may have a point, his June 2014 was nothing to scoff at either.

During a dismal Phillies season, the 30-year-old Hamels gave fans something special to watch every fifth day. That June, he made six starts, completing at least seven innings in each. In three of those starts, Hamels threw at least 120 pitches. 

The month also contained Hamels’ own scoreless streak of 24 2/3 consecutive innings, beginning on June 1 and lasting for three full scoreless starts before ending in St. Louis on June 21.

Hamels’ spectacular June was not enough to save the 2014 Phillies, but it exemplified the left-hander at his best. Though poor run support held him to just a 9-9 win-loss record that year, Hamels pitched to a 2.46 ERA across 204 2/3 innings in 2014, helping to cement his status as one of the franchise’s all-time greats. 

Cliff Lee, June 2011 (5 GS, 42 IP, 0.21 ERA)

Before Sánchez came along, Cliff Lee’s June 2011 set the gold standard for best months in modern Phillies history. In some ways, it still does. 

Lee allowed just one run across 42 innings that month, walking eight batters while striking out 29.

Perhaps most absurdly, Lee ended the month throwing, not one, not two, but three consecutive complete-game shutouts. These shutouts contributed towards a 34-inning scoreless streak from Lee, which stood for 15 years as the second-longest in franchise history, behind Grover Cleveland Alexander’s 1911 record of 41 consecutive scoreless innings. Of course, Sánchez has since surpassed both marks with his own streak this season.  

Roy Halladay, July 2010 (5 GS, 41 IP, 1.54 ERA)

While Roy Halladay was never as outright overpowering as Sánchez or Wheeler, his talent was in his ability to steadily and efficiently dispose of opposing hitters. In no one month was this talent on display as much as in July 2010. 

Across five July starts, Halladay pitched 41 innings, allowing just seven earned runs. His command in that span was impeccable, as he struck out 37 batters while walking only three. The lone blemish for Halladay came in a loss at Wrigley Field on July 18, when the Hall of Fame pitcher went six innings against the Chicago Cubs, allowing six runs, five of them earned.

Halladay had three nine-inning outings in July, two of them complete games. In the other, a July 10 start against Cincinnati, Halladay’s nine shutout innings were matched by Reds starter Travis Wood. Both stellar starters were left with no-decisions, with the Phillies eventually winning the game 1-0 in 11 innings. 

Steve Carlton, September 1972 (7 GS, 62 IP, 1.16 ERA)

1972 was Steve Carlton’s first season in Philadelphia, and in terms of pitching, it was the best the city’s seen. Posting a 27-10 record with a 1.97 ERA across 346 ⅓ innings pitched, Carlton dominated opposing hitters for a Phillies squad that won just 59 games total.

Carlton ended his season on a high note, with a commanding September. Pitching mostly on three days rest, he made seven starts that month, throwing seven consecutive complete games, including one shutout. Across 62 innings pitched, Carlton allowed just eight runs, striking out 44 while walking 14.

Though the two played in different eras and dominated in different ways, Carlton’s remarkable September 1972 is in some ways reminiscent of Sánchez’s May 2026. Just as we will likely never again see a pitcher throw seven complete games in a month like Carlton did, it is hard to imagine that we will see another Phillies starter throw 44 consecutive scoreless innings (and counting) the way Sánchez has these last few weeks.