Devan Kaney is saying goodbye to Philadelphia, at least for now.
Kaney anchored her final Fox 29 sportscast over the weekend and and is leaving town for a yet-to-be-announced job opportunity in a bigger market. Though she hinted she would still appear on Fox’s airwaves.
“I’m so grateful for the support all of my colleagues at Fox 29 have given me during my time there, but especially in the last few months,” Kaney said.
“As much as I would have loved to return as the sideline reporter, they never reached out,” Kaney said, “and I’ll be covering a different NFL franchise moving forward.”
Kaney had been with Fox 29 since 2023, serving as a part-time sports anchor and reporter. She also appeared on Good Day Philadelphia and featured prominently on the station’s Eagles coverage.
She’ll be replaced in part by former 6abc sportscaster Jamie Apody, who just landed an expanded role at Fox 29 and will anchor the station’s Saturday 10 p.m. newscast.
“I was absolutely not expecting Jayson Werth,” Kaney told The Inquirer earlier this month. “He’ll just drop the most insane stories, and it’s awesome to work with him.”
When Carson Benge’s home run ball started heading in his direction on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park, 14-year-old Josh Kirsch knew exactly what to do.
The eighth-grader from Royersford was planning for this moment for years, hoping to catch a home run ball in his glove.
After he actually got his hands on the Mets outfielder’s home run, he was expected to do what most other Phillies fans do when they catch the opposing team’s home runs — throw the ball back onto the field. Instead, Kirsch was caught on camera swapping out the ball, pocketing the home run ball and throwing a different one back out on the field.
The Kirsch family has had Sunday season tickets in the outfield since 2022, purposefully on the aisle to give Kirsch a better chance at one day catching a ball. But there’s obviously no guarantee that even if you do get a home run ball, it’ll be a Phillies home run, and you’ll get to keep it. So Kirsch had a backup plan.
“He knows that the Phillies fans will cheer for about 10 seconds, and then be like, ‘Throw it back! Throw it back!’ so he had brought this ball with him to every game we went to,” said his father, Matt Kirsch. “It’s a Little League ball that he wrote in Sharpie in his little chicken scratch, ‘Not the home run ball.’”
Sunday was the first time Kirsch has been caught on camera swapping out the ball, but it’s not the first time he’s “thrown back” a home run. On April 20 last season, Marlins rookie Javier Sanoja hit his first career home run against the Phillies, right into Kirsch’s glove. Kirsch, not knowing it was Sanoja’s first major league home run, threw back the ball he’d stowed away in his pocket, wanting to keep his first home run catch.
Josh Kirsch meeting Javier Sanoja after catching his first career home run on April 20, 2025.
But after one of their season-ticket neighbors, listening to the game on the radio, learned that it was Sanoja’s first major league home run, Kirsch wanted to find a way to give the ball back. Ballpark staff was able to verify that the ball Kirsch had was in fact the home run ball, and he got to meet Sanoja and trade it for a signed bat.
“That’s how his mind works,” Matt said. “He’s always thinking about every angle, like, ‘Oh my gosh, what if this happens?’”
Kirsch has always been an avid baseball fan. The family started going to Phillies games in earnest during the 2021 season, and after seeing just how much Kirsch loved to be at the ballpark, they invested in season tickets.
He plays in the Spring Ford Babe Ruth baseball league, and at home, Kirsch has a collection of baseball and other Phillies memorabilia, including balls he’s had signed during warmups, jerseys, and bats. That’s part of why he wanted to keep the ball — with how baseball works, who knows if Sanoja or Benge might end up being Phillies one day?
So, no regrets, even after he went viral for pocketing the ball, which will now get a place of pride nearby his Sanoja bat. It was still surprising for the family to see the video gain more than a million views across various channels, but they’re taking it in stride.
“My daughter committed to play field hockey at Northwestern,” Matt said. “If you were to ask me which of my two kids was gonna make the Instagram reel for ESPN, I’d be like, ‘Oh, my D-I athlete.’ My Little League eighth-grader made it.”
They gathered at the usual time (shortly before 3 p.m.), in the usual spot (around home plate) for early batting practice. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm were there; J.T. Realmuto, too.
What else did you expect? Yes, the Face of the Phillies prefers the indoor cage for his pregame swings. But Harper felt like launching balls into the seats Saturday and wound up hitting for the cycle a few hours later.
So, there was Harper, hitting on the field again Sunday, and sticking with his 35-ounce “heavy” bat instead of the 31½-ounce model that he ditched the night before. And guess what? Yep, he got three more hits — a triple short of another cycle — in a 6-2 rubber-game victory over the Mets that was powered by another titanic Kyle Schwarber homer.
“I don’t know if that’s translating to the game,” Harper said of the early hitting, the heavier lumber, and seven hits in his last nine at-bats. “Obviously the last two days have been great.”
Surely, Harper wants to bottle this feeling.
But it isn’t only Harper. Or even Schwarber, who has blasted four homers in the last two games, leads the planet with 29, and is on pace to finish with 61, which would be a record for a franchise that has existed for 144 seasons.
The Phillies’ Bryce Harper celebrates after hitting a home run in the fifth inning on Sunday.
As the Phillies capped a winning homestand and caught a train to Washington to play four games this week, the bats are finally revving up. In going 4-2 against the Marlins and Mets, they produced a total of 44 runs on 60 hits, including 11 home runs, five of which came from Schwarber and two from Harper.
“It’s pretty, pretty special,” Zack Wheeler said after allowing two runs in 5⅔ innings. “I mean, it’s pretty cool to see, you know? They’re capable of doing that every day. It’s crazy.
“And we have the guys around them, too, getting on base. They aren’t just solo home runs and stuff. We’re putting good at-bats together and looking like a good, total offense.”
The pitching, notably co-aces Cristopher Sánchez and Wheeler and star closer Jhoan Duran, carried the Phillies from a 9-19 start back into wild-card position.
Now that they’re here, the offense is percolating, led by the Harper-Schwarber Show, just in time for summer.
“That’s kind of what we expect of ourselves as an offense, right?” Harper said. “When we get going and clicking like that, I think when me and Schwarbs have big swings or great at-bats, we’ve got a chance to win games.”
The Phillies won the finale against the Mets by taking advantage of mistakes early, scoring two first-inning runs without a hit out of the infield. Then came Schwarber’s three-run homer in the second inning and Harper’s solo in the fifth.
Harper also doubled in the second inning and singled in the seventh. Was he hoping for one more at-bat to take a shot at another triple for another cycle?
“Absolutely,” he said, laughing. “I’m not going to lie to you. I wanted that last go-around, yeah. No, it was definitely in my head.”
Take a moment to wrap your head around Schwarber’s latest power binge. After launching 456- and 457-foot missiles halfway up the second deck Saturday night, he returned to that territory against Mets lefty David Peterson.
Schwarber hit 46, 47, 38, and 56 homers in his first four seasons with the Phillies. His best power numbers through 77 games: 23 homers, .530 slugging, .909 OPS last year.
This season: 29 homers, .603 slugging, .972 OPS.
There’s no telling how many more Schwarbombs will drop before the All-Star break.
“It is June,” Wheeler said.
Exit velocities of the last five balls in play by Kyle Schwarber:
And everyone knows Schwarber has hit more homers in his career in June (74) than any other month.
Wheeler, meanwhile, kept rolling in his remarkable return from thoracic outlet syndrome. He sidestepped back-to-back singles to open the second inning and shrugged off Carson Benge’s leadoff homer in the third.
After Wheeler walked the bases loaded with one out in the sixth, and with his pitch count up to 101, interim manager Don Mattingly went to the mound.
“Do you have one more hitter?” Mattingly asked.
Wheeler nodded.
“I was a little tired, but I wasn’t too tired to just keep going,” said Wheeler, who has a 2.11 ERA through 11 starts. “I was honest with [former manager] Rob [Thomson], and I’ll be honest with him. I felt like I had more in me.”
Wheeler got a ground ball and a force at second base before Jonathan Bowlan struck out Marcus Semien to finish the inning.
But offense was the theme of the week. And Saturday night, as Harper (cycle) and Schwarber (three homers) put on dueling talent shows against the Mets, Wheeler stood in the dugout and caught himself marveling at all of it.
“It’s hard to kind of take a step back while you’re actually playing and in the moment as somebody watching,” Wheeler said. “You hear about all the greats before you, so to speak, and you watched them as a fan. But I’m actually here watching these guys do some magic and do something special.
“And it’s gone on a long time now. They’re putting together unbelievable careers, and it’s fun to be present and watch it happen live.”
The Harper-Schwarber show, featuring heavy bats and thunderous homers, went on all weekend. The Phillies are counting on an extended run.
It’s perfectly accurate to say that Bryce Harperhit for the cycle Saturday night.
But he also ran for it.
Never mind that the Phillies star tied a bow on his first career cycle by sprinting for a triple in the fifth inning. Two innings earlier, he stretched a single into a double with the overaggressive base running for which he’s often criticized.
Harper lashed a first-pitch fastball from Mets starter Freddy Peralta through the right side. He didn’t hesitate around first base, even though he had barely made the turn when right fielder Eric Wagaman cut off the ball and unleashed a throw.
A strong, accurate throw likely would’ve gotten Harper. But after backhanding the ball, Wagaman’s throw came up well short of second base. Harper’s risk, with nobody out in the third inning and the Phillies leading 4-0, paid off.
But even if it hadn’t, he wasn’t about to apologize for his daring run.
Chills.
How every hit from Bryce Harper's first career cycle sounded with Franzke and LA pic.twitter.com/hEUDpeEqlh
“I don’t really care what people think about my baserunning because that’s how I’ve always played,” he said. “I’ve done it since I was 7 years old. I don’t really play a different way when I know I can try to get to second base. I’ve made mistakes on the bases. I’m going to.
“Little kids are going to do the same thing. And I’ll preach to them that they just play the game hard. If they get thrown out at second or third, then so be it. If I don’t do that tonight, then I don’t have the opportunity to hit for a cycle.”
Harper has made three outs on the bases so far this season. He made six last year, including three at second base after trying to stretch a single.
In this case, given the situation in the game — and the fact that Wagaman, a utility player, was making only his second career start in right field — interim manager Don Mattingly agreed with Harper’s decision to take second.
“We want to take chances,” Mattingly said. “We want to take smart chances. That’s a good chance there because the guy’s got to backhand it. He’s not truly, truly the right fielder. It’s a guy that’s playing out there sparingly, but also a guy that has to go to his right, backhand the ball, and try to get something on it.
“So, it’s a good chance.”
Phillies right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr., at bat against New York Mets on Saturday, June 20, 2026 in Philadelphia.
Rating Rincones
It’s been only 19 plate appearances over six games, but right fielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. has mostly struggled in his initial exposure to the majors.
Rincones, who didn’t start Sunday night against a lefty (the Mets’ David Peterson), is 2-for-19 with five strikeouts. He hasn’t drawn a walk. Since his homer in his first Citizens Bank Park at-bat Monday night, he’s 1-for-15.
“Some good, some bad,” Mattingly said. “I just don’t want him to be passive. I want him to make sure he’s being aggressive in the zone. He’s a guy that’s got a good eye. He’s young and he is starting out, so you don’t want to put too much emphasis on one day to the next. For me, you want to see the aggressive swings.“
Mattingly was encouraged by Rincones’ swing on a fly ball to center field in his last at-bat Saturday night. But in his two previous at-bats, he chased a low-and-away fastball from lefty Cionel Pérez for a strikeout and got called out on a fastball over the plate from starter Freddy Peralta.
The Phillies plan to move forward with Rincones, a left-handed hitter, in right field against right-handed pitching. Brandon Marsh moves to right field, with righty-hitting Derek Hill in center, against lefties.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Backhus throws during the ninth inning of opening day against the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, March 26, 2026 in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Phillies won 5 to 3.
Extra bases
With lefty Kyle Backhus poised to be reinstated from the injured list, the Phillies optioned reliever Max Lazar to triple A after Sunday night’s game. … Reliever Brad Keller (right forearm strain) began a throwing program, playing catch from 75 to 90 feet. … Reserve outfielder Johan Rojas, serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, had surgery in which an internal brace was used to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The typical recovery is 6-8 months, according to the Phillies, who expect he’ll be ready to begin next season. … The Phillies will open a four-game series in Washington at 6:45 p.m. Monday night. They haven’t named a starter to fill demoted Andrew Painter’s spot in the rotation, but after designated Bryse Wilson for assignment Sunday night, Alan Rangel is a decent bet. Left-hander Foster Griffin (7-2, 3.32 ERA) will start for the Nationals.
In three weeks, in the same sold-out ballpark, in front of another national television audience, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper will probably be in the All-Star Game, maybe even the Home Run Derby.
But they won’t put on a show like this.
They can’t possibly.
Can they?
Whatever happens in the Bank’s All-Star closeup, take this to the bank: The Phillies’ stars put on dueling talent shows for the ages in Saturday night’s 15-3 demolition of the rival Mets. And, no, that isn’t mouth-agape hyperbole over feats we can’t believe we just saw.
“They stole the show from me, that’s for sure,” ace Cristopher Sánchez said, laughing, after a one-run, six-inning gem reduced his ERA to 1.84. “It was perfect.”
It started with Schwarber, who became the fourth player in Phillies history (dating back to 1883, by the way) to smash two homers in one inning before adding a third later in the game for good measure.
Not to be outdone, Harper tripled in the fifth inning to hit for the cycle for the first time in a career that has spanned 15 seasons and will eventually take him to the Hall of Fame. And it took him only four at-bats, to boot.
Only once before did teammates do those two things — at least three homers and a cycle — in one game: Lou Gehrig and Tony Lazzeri, Hall of Fame Yankees, in 1932.
“We were wondering that in the dugout,” Harper said. “We didn’t think there was going to be two guys that did it. But to have those two names up against ours is pretty cool. It’s a pretty awesome moment for both of us.”
Kyle Schwarber became the fourth Phillies player to homer twice in one inning when he did so in the third.
Or as Schwarber put it, after he and Harper had four hits apiece in a 17-hit Phillies onslaught: “It was a pretty cool overall night, in general.”
For Harper, it began a few minutes before 3 p.m. with something he rarely does. He took early batting practice on the field, an exercise he prefers to do underneath the stands in the controlled environment of the indoor cage.
But Harper was in a 1-for-22 funk, even though he’s been mostly pleased with his approach at the plate. He swung mostly at strikes and hit balls hard, but as he said, “it feels like there’s a big, old glove out there.”
So, Harper went out to the field with one objective.
“I was trying to hit home runs,” he said. “Haven’t hit really many balls over the fence in a while, so I felt like just going out there and just trying to hit some balls in the third deck. Sometimes that helps.”
OK, but hitting a fastball from Mets ace righty Freddy Peralta into the right-field seats on his first swing of the game for his first homer in 10 days?
That’s absurd. But it fits with the night’s theme.
Harper was using different lumber, too. He switched to a 34-inch, 35-ounce bat instead of his usual 34-inch, 31½-ounce model — “My heavy bat from the cage,” he said — because he thought he was out in front of too many pitches.
“That bat’s from 2023, just an old, heavy bat that I swing every day in the cage,” Harper said. “It’s just my workout-routine bat. I said to [hitting coach Kevin] Long about a month ago, I was like, ‘Man, I should use this thing in a game,’ and I never did. Finally I was like, ‘Screw it. I’m going to do it today.
“I don’t know if it translated to the game or anything else. But what a night to be able to have.”
Tell Schwarber about it. He led off an eight-run third inning by golfing a 456-foot drive halfway up the second deck in right field. By the time Schwarber’s spot in the lineup came back around, the Phillies had an eight-run lead. It ballooned to 11-0 with another Schwarbomb, 457 feet to almost the same spot.
“That was cool,” said Schwarber, who didn’t do anything unusual before the game. “First time I’ve done it in my career.”
In fact, the only other Phillies players to do it were Andy Seminick (1949), Von Hayes (1985), and Trea Turner (2023).
Why stop there? Schwarber tacked on a third homer in the seventh inning, skying a ball around the right-field foul pole. It marked the fifth time in his career that he hit at least three homers and raised his majors-leading total this season to 28.
“That’s what he tries to do, man,” Harper said of the sport’s most prolific home-run hitter. “It’s way different. Just the way he kind of connects to the baseball. He uses the ground so well. He’s got such a simple, short swing. It’s pretty impressive, you know?”
Almost as impressive as, say, scoring all the way from first base on Harper’s cycle-capping triple.
Everyone in the dugout was aware of Harper’s pursuit of the cycle. After his first-inning homer, he was typically overaggressive in hustling to turn a single into a double on a liner to right-center before ripping a single in the third inning.
“We kind of talked about it before, and I was like, ‘Hey, you’ve just got to aim at Monty’s Angle,’” Schwarber said, referring to the area where the wall juts out in left-center field. “And then he gets up there and he hits the ball to center field. I’m like, ‘I’m going to run through the stop sign.’
“I was pretty predetermined on going, and I’m glad [third base coach Anthony Contreras] was on the same page, too, with sending me.”
Not that they had much choice. Harper was intent on not stopping around second base, the helmet flying off his head between first and second.
Harper joked that Schwarber was well-rested because he “jogged a lot tonight.” And when he slid into third, Harper raised both arms skyward, then pumped his right arm and doffed his helmet.
It was only the 11th time in 144 seasons that a Phillies player hit for the cycle. J.T. Realmuto and Weston Wilson did it in 2023 and 2024, respectively. But it’s happened only five times in the last 63 years.
And never to Harper. Well, not since college.
“Super Regionals,” he said. “Seven-for-seven, four homers and a cycle.”
Where does a cycle rank for a two-time MVP with 379 career homers?
“It’s up there,” he said. “Doing that at the big-league level is really cool.”
And it makes you wonder what Schwarber and Harper could possibly have in store for an All-Star encore. Neither will commit to the Home Run Derby until they know if they’ll be named to the All-Star team.
But, really, is there any doubt?
“A crowd like [Saturday] shows you how electric it’s going to be, for not only that [Home Run Derby] night but the whole week in general,” Schwarber said. “I think it’ll be really special to have the All-Star Game here in Philly, and our fans are going to be able to show up for that.”
The Phillies’ biggest stars just gave everyone one heck of a preview.
Fifteen years into a career that will almost certainly take him to the Hall of Fame, Phillies star Bryce Harper did something he’s never done before.
He hit for the cycle.
And it took him only four at-bats.
Harper tripled in the fifth inning of a 15-3 rout of the Mets, and upon sliding into third, he pumped his right arm, then raised both arms skyward. Harper homered in the first inning, then reached on a hustle double and a single in the Phillies’ eight-run third inning.
“[Interim manager] Don [Mattingly] and all the coaches came up to me and were like, ‘Hey, if you get a chance, just go do it,’” Harper said. “So, kind of once I had their blessing to just go on any ball, it was kind of the perfect thing.”
It marked the 11th time a Phillies player hit for the cycle. Harper joined Lave Cross (1894), Sam Thompson (1894), Cy Williams (1927), Chuck Klein (1931 and 1933), Johnny Callison (1963), Gregg Jefferies (1995), David Bell (2004), J.T. Realmuto (2023), and Weston Wilson (2024).
“Doing that at the big-league level is really cool,” Harper said. “Got close a couple times, but being able to do that, having that moment is really, really cool.”
The triple capped the cycle, but it wouldn’t have been complete without a signature double from Harper in the third inning. He shot a ball into the gap in right-center and aggressively took second base, never hesitating out of the box. It was the sort of baserunning for which he’s often criticized.
“I don’t really care what people think about my baserunning because that’s how I’ve always played,” Harper said. “I’ve done it since I was 7 years old. I don’t really play a different way when I know I can try to get to second base. I’ve made mistakes on the bases. I’m going to. Little kids are going to do the same thing. And I’ll preach to them that they just play the game hard. If they get thrown out at second or third, then so be it. If I don’t do that tonight, then I don’t have the opportunity to hit for a cycle.”
Not to be outdone, Kyle Schwarber crushed three homers, including two in the Phillies’ big third inning, to raise his majors-leading total to 28. He became the fourth Phillies player to homer twice in one inning. The others: Andy Seminick (1949), Von Hayes (1985), and Trea Turner (2023).
Both of Schwarber’s third-inning homers landed halfway up the second deck in right field. The first was measured at 456 feet, the second at 457 feet.
Harper entered with 13 career four-hits games, including two games with five hits. But he hadn’t hit for the cycle since 2010 at the College of Southern Nevada.
So, when Harper hit a fastball from Mets lefty reliever Cionel Pérez into the gap in left-center field, he had no intention of stopping at second base. The helmet flew off his head between first and second. He went from the batter’s box to third base in 11.8 seconds.
“We haven’t put a timetable on it,“ general manager Preston Mattingly said on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “It’s TBD at this point when he comes back. But I think we all know as an organization that we’re going to need him.”
OK, but in the meantime, the Phillies must fill Painter’s spot. They don’t have many options. Starting pitching depth has been a concern since the offseason. It isn’t an organizational strength.
But before the Phillies settle the fifth-starter question, they will slightly rearrange the rotation beyond co-aces Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler. Jesús Luzardo will move back one day to avoid overtaxing the bullpen by splitting up Painter’s spot and Aaron Nola.
So, after Wheeler starts at home Sunday night against the Mets, the rotation will shape up like this for the upcoming series in Washington: Monday: No. 5 starter; Tuesday: Luzardo; Wednesday: Nola; Thursday: Sánchez.
As for who will take the fifth (spot), the Phillies seem to have three choices:
Bryse Wilson: Called up to fill Painter’s roster spot, Wilson threw 29 pitches in two scoreless innings of relief Thursday night against the Mets, which would line him up to start on short rest. The 28-year-old righty had a 6.29 ERA in triple A but also hadn’t allowed a run in 12 innings in his last three starts. He has appeared in 164 major-league games, including 57 starts.
Alan Rangel is a candidate to join the Phillies’ starting rotation next week.
Alan Rangel: Despite occasionally spotty command (27 walks in 70 innings), Rangel has been Lehigh Valley’s most consistent starter. He has a 3.99 ERA in 14 games (11 starts) and would be on regular rest Monday.
Bullpen game/opener: The Phillies have more depth in the bullpen. Interim manager Don Mattingly said he isn’t inclined to pass the baton from reliever to reliever for nine innings. But the Phillies could use an opener before turning to a bulk pitcher, possibly Wilson or Rangel.
“I don’t know about bullpen-heavy, but obviously there will be usage,” Mattingly said. “There’s no plan to just go two innings and then try to do the whole thing with a bullpen. It won’t be that kind of game. We’ll definitely have bulk in there.”
The fifth spot in the rotation will come around four times before the All-Star break. Painter isn’t expected back until after the second half opens. He will throw multiple bullpen sessions before making his first start for Lehigh Valley, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.
Painter has a 7.06 ERA and a 1-8 record (the Phillies are 3-9 in his starts). Opponents are batting .404 and slugging .660 against his fastball.
The Phillies believe it stems mostly from his delivery. He tends to over-rotate toward the first-base side of the mound, rather than striding directly toward home plate, which has affected his ability to command the fastball.
“Most of it is delivery-oriented,” Dombrowski said. “Because he’s done some things with his delivery, just going more directly to the plate rather than spinning off. He’s had more life, and you see it at times. He threw some pitches that were outstanding but not on a consistent basis.
“So, the feeling 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.”
Trea Turner is back in the lineup after suffering a bruised right calf on Thursday.
Trea bien
Trea Turner returned to the lineup Saturday — in his familiar leadoff spot — after leaving Thursday night’s game with a bruised right calf. He got hit by a pitch from Mets lefty Sean Manaea in the first inning.
When Turner reported soreness and tightness, Mattingly took him out of the game. But after a day off Friday, Turner felt better.
“For me, the biggest danger with that is him running differently, and then we’re into a hamstring or a hip [injury] or something like that,” Mattingly said. “So, wanted to make sure that he can run. That was his biggest issue, just pushing off. The off-day did him well.”
Lefty reliever Kyle Backhus (elbow) was scheduled to make his fifth injury rehab appearance for Lehigh Valley. The Phillies likely will reinstate him from the injured list early next week. Backhus could fill an important role in the bullpen, with lefty José Alvarado struggling and Tanner Banks getting sent back to the minors. … Gage Wood update: The Phillies’ top prospect has a 3.71 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and only five walks in 17 innings over five starts since his promotion to double A. … Wheeler (6-1, 2.01 ERA) will be opposed Sunday night by Mets lefty David Peterson (3-5, 5.91).
The Phillies entered the season as a team whose fate would be determined mostly by how little went wrong. That’s somewhat true for most teams, but it is especially true for a team that basically skipped a development cycle while building and retaining a roster via trades, free agency and contract extensions.
In Major League Baseball, there are three main sources of year-to-year improvement.
External additions via free agency and trade.
Internal additions from the minor league system.
Internal improvement from young players who have yet to reach their peak.
Every now and then, you’ll see a mid-career bump by a player like Cristopher Sánchez or Brandon Marsh. For the most part, though, a team’s upside is a function of its young potential breakout candidates combined with whatever payroll it adds. Otherwise, what you end up seeing will look a lot like what you’ve previously gotten, along with whatever regression occurs.
Nearly halfway through the schedule, the Phillies are exactly what you’d expect to get if you took last year’s team and subbed in a leadoff hitter who is batting .223/.276/.334 instead of .304/.355/.457. Marsh’s quasi-breakout has given them enough margin for error to withstand the rookie inconsistency they’ve seen from Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter at the bottom of the lineup and the rotation. But something dramatic is going to need to change for the Phillies to stop yo-yoing back and forth between .500 and a 90-win pace. Right now, the most likely something is the aforementioned leadoff hitter.
Trea Turner is the man with the keys to the Phillies’ offense for the rest of the season. That’s really all there is to it. You can talk about the trade deadline, talk about the pitcher Painter was supposed to be, talk about the 31-16 record under Don Mattingly … all of it is noise. The Phillies simply aren’t a team that is capable of winning 95 games when one of their megacontract hitters isn’t hitting even half his worth.
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner entered the weekend with a .610 OPS. His career mark is .816.
Mattingly knows this. It’s the reason for the patience he continues to exhibit with Turner at the top of the lineup. Getting him right is the Phillies’ only hope at making a late charge at the Braves. That 31-16 record since Rob Thomson’s firing is glitter more than gold. Seven of those wins came against teams that are 12-plus games under .500. Another seven have come against the Marlins and Athletics. The Phillies are 5-7 against their four opponents who entered Thursday at least four games over .500. Series losses to the Brewers, Dodgers, and Guardians. Their 96-win pace over the last month is more representative than 113.
Even 96 wins is overstating things. We got a little taste of what a 96-win offense looks like a couple of days ago when Turner was out of the lineup with a sore wrist. Mattingly seized the opportunity to get a little funky with his lineup. The hot-hitting Marsh took the place of Turner in the leadoff spot, giving the Phillies three straight lefties at the top of the order with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper following Marsh.
Mattingly’s lack of regard for convention paid dividends. Marsh reached base twice, scored two runs, and had two RBIs, which is something Turner has not done since last August. The top three hitters in the Phillies’ order combined to reach base six times and score five runs in an 8-2 win. Sometimes, different is good.
The next day, Mattingly went back to the old drawing board. Turner went 3-for-5 with a double, his first three-hit game since May 9. It needs to be the start of something, although he left Thursday’s game after again being hit by a pitch.
Turner is the reason everybody thinks the Phillies need to make a big splash at the trade deadline. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will be hard-pressed to find a hitter who would be more of an improvement than the Turner of last year returning. If he doesn’t, 87 wins is as good as it is going to get.
The Phillies don’t have many other pathways. They are long on veterans and short on potential upside. It is a daunting position to be in at this stage of a season.
Look at the teams that overperform their expectations and you’ll find that the differentiator is almost always someone who is at the stage of his career where improvement comes in leaps and bounds. Drake Baldwin will continue to improve for the Braves. Same goes for Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing with the Dodgers. Ben Rice with the Yankees. For all the hand-wringing about the Dodgers and their limitless payroll, they’ve also had five rookies hit 19-plus home runs since 2013.
The Phillies don’t have any obvious candidates right now. Harper and Schwarber have been about as good as you could hope. Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and J.T. Realmuto have been about what you’d expect. Turner’s is the one spot in the lineup where the potential for significant improvement exists. At least, they better hope it still exists.
Five months later, almost to the day, Bo Bichette stepped in the batter’s box in Citizens Bank Park.
Boooooooo!
(No, they weren’t calling his name.)
Depending on who you ask, Bichette was either on the verge of signing with the Phillies or deep in talks about their seven-year, $200 million offer. It was the middle of January, a pivot point in the offseason.
“I thought it was an opportunity, for sure,” he 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 [it was close].”
In any case, Bichette is in town this weekend with the rival Mets, who swooped in with a short-term (three years), high-salary ($126 million) deal with two opt-outs. And not that anyone has forgotten, the visit is a helpful reminder that the Phillies still are searching for a big right-handed bat.
Bo Bichette, who signed with the Mets over the Phillies’ seven-year, $200 million offer in January, is in town for the first time with his new team.
The trade deadline is six weeks away — 6 p.m. on Aug. 3, if you want to set a calendar reminder. It’s a long way from here to there. The market hasn’t taken shape and likely won’t for a while.
Entering the weekend, 12 National League teams and 11 in the American League were no more than three games out of a playoff spot. Some are more realistic contenders than others; none is ready to wave the white flag.
“It’s pretty quiet right now,” Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly said this week on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. “You’re talking to teams and checking in, and we’re having conversations to kind of lay some groundwork. But pretty quiet right now.
“I’m sure over the next two to three weeks to one month, things will start to pick up a little bit.”
The Phillies made a small trade last week to address a lack of outfield depth after losing Adolis García to a season-ending muscle tear near his right shoulder. They sent two minor leaguers to the White Sox for platoon outfielder Derek Hill.
It’s possible they will have to make a similar trade for starting pitching depth after demoting Andrew Painter to triple A with a 7.06 ERA.
But the deadline represents a chance to take a bigger swing. And the perception within the sport, based on conversations with league sources, is that the Phillies are prioritizing a right-handed hitter for the top half of the order to offset lefty-swinging Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Brandon Marsh.
Let’s take a still-too-early dive into a few players who may be available before the deadline by dividing them into categories:
The Phillies haven’t shown any interest in moving Bryce Harper back to the outfield.
Non-outfield options
The outfield is the most obvious place for the Phillies to add a hitter.
Unless …
“I’ve said it multiple years before — and this year, still — for the right player, I would do it,” Harper said of moving back to right field. “I mean, that’s as real as it gets. I don’t want to do it long-term. But if the right player comes along and that’s what we need, or if that’s what we want, I’d be open to it at any point.“
Could the right player be Willson Contreras? Or fellow first baseman Christian Walker? The free-falling Red Sox could move Contreras, who is under contract next year for $18.5 million. Astros owner Jim Crane once vowed to never be a seller. But if Houston keeps fading, Walker and third baseman Isaac Paredes could bring value.
Harper hasn’t played right field since April 2022, when he tore a ligament in his right elbow. He moved to first base a year later.
“I still feel like I can throw a baseball from right field, and I can catch a fly ball,” Harper said. “It’s been a long time. But, yeah, I would do it in a heartbeat for us to win a World Series, without a doubt.”
But the Phillies didn’t take Harper up on his previous offers, and it doesn’t sound like they’re about to start.
“I know he’s always been very open-minded to trying to help the organization however he can, but we haven’t talked to him,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said this week. “And I really don’t contemplate it because I really like the way he goes about his business at first base. … I’m looking at him as being a first baseman.”
With the Angels sinking to the bottom of the American League, outfielder Jo Adell could be on the move at the trade deadline.
Midrange outfield targets
Drafted a year apart, Marsh and Jo Adell came through the minors together with the Angels and became close friends.
What if they were reunited with the Phillies?
“That’d be kind of a cool reunion if they could get Jo there,” former Angels manager Joe Maddon said on a recent episode of Phillies Extra. “Because that man’s got some power.”
Indeed, Adell broke out last season with 37 homers and a .778 OPS. The 27-year-old’s production has dipped (10 homers, .683 OPS through Thursday) and isn’t helped by a 2.9% walk rate that ranks among the lowest in the majors.
But Adell would fit the Phillies as a right-handed hitter who bashes lefties (.862 OPS through Thursday). His defense has improved over the years in right field, too.
And the Angels are headed for their 11th losing season in a row. With one year left on Adell’s contract, this might be their time to cash in, especially if they won’t move Mike Trout, who went on the injured list this week with a hamstring strain.
Taylor Ward, a former Angels outfielder, represents an option as an outfield rental. A right-handed hitter and a free agent after the season, he has been an on-base machine for the Orioles, reaching at a .394 clip through Thursday, though he hit only three homers.
Lefty-hitting outfielder Jarren Duran is a trade candidate if the Red Sox continue to fall out of contention in the American League.
Lefty-hitting outfield options
The Phillies had seven left-handed hitters in the lineup Wednesday against Marlins ace righty Sandy Alcantara.
“I actually like it,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “I do. I just think hitting left-handed against righties, it’s an advantage, right? And there’s pitchers that get righties out maybe better. … It just takes certain pitches away from a righty.”
Said general manager Preston Mattingly: “I probably would side on the side of my dad. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to run out seven, eight, nine left-handed hitters vs. a right-handed pitcher. And I think we have [lefty hitters] that are well equipped to hit lefties.”
File that away. Because although rival evaluators are expecting the Phillies to hunt for a right-handed hitter, Dombrowski may not shy away from an appealing left-handed bat.
Maybe someone like Jarren Duran. The Red Sox will have a surplus of outfielders when Roman Anthony returns from an injured finger. Duran, drafted by Boston when Dombrowski headed its baseball operations department, could finally be the odd man out in left field.
Twins center fielder Byron Buxton would be among the most coveted hitters on the market if he waived his no-trade clause.
Pie in the sky
At last year’s All-Star Game, Byron Buxton pledged his allegiance to the only organization he has known.
“I’m a Minnesota Twin,” he said, “for the rest of my life.”
Buxton actually has control over that. The 32-year-old center fielder has no-trade protection and no desire to waive it, even after the Twins traded 10 players at last year’s deadline, including star closer Jhoan Duran and center fielder Harrison Bader to the Phillies.
Amid another stellar season (23 homers, .919 OPS through Thursday), Buxton is doubling down on his loyalty.
“I ain’t said nothing about leaving, nor will I,” Buxton told The Athletic. “I’m a Twin.“
But what if the Twins sell again at the deadline? What if they move ace Joe Ryan and catcher Ryan Jeffers? Maybe that would change Buxton’s tune. Maybe not.
The Phillies appear to lack the prospect capital to get him anyway. Justin Crawford and Gage Wood might be a start. But the farm system is in the bottom third of the sport, according to many evaluators, after the Phillies used Mick Abel, Eduardo Tait, Starlyn Caba, George Klassen, and Sam Aldegheri in deals over the last two years.
“We feel good where our system’s at,” Preston Mattingly said. “We’re not concerned about a lack of assets in the minor leagues. A lot of times you see that top-100 [prospects] list. That’s not necessarily what teams internally talk about, and those are not the players they ask about.”
It would be moot anyway if Buxton wants to be a Twin forever.
Mike Schmidt returned to the Phillies television booth Thursday night, but not to call the game.
The Phillies legend walked away from NBC Sports Philadelphia this season after 12 years as a part-time announcer, but jumped back in the booth Thursday night to spend the fourth inning with Tom McCarthy, John Kruk, and fellow Hall of Famer George Brett.
It was a fascinating way to spend 20 minutes, especially considering the many ways Schmidt and Brett are linked. Two of the best third baseman in the history of the game, taken one behind the other in the 1971 MLB draft. Brett had 1,596 career RBIs, while Schmidt had 1,595 (Brett “hired someone to go back through his career and find an RBI” Schmidt once jokingly claimed).
And of course, there’s the 1980 World Series, where the Phillies defeated the Royals and Schmidt was named MVP, which Brett said was “hard to swallow.” They were both named the respective MVPs of their leagues that season, with Brett ending the season with a batting average of .390.
George Brett and Mike Schmidt, seen here ahead of Game 1 of the 1980 World Series.
“By the way, I had .260 in the bag,” Schmidt joked. “I went 0-10 in the last series and dropped down to .250.”
“I feel so bad for you, Mike. You only had 50 home runs that season,” Brett shot back.
For the record, Schmidt ended the 1980 season with 48 home runs and 121 RBIs.
Schmidt and Brett compared stats, busted chops, and shared a life-long friendship borne through intense competition on the field.
“I hated him. I didn’t like him at all,” Brett said, noting Schmidt beat him “every time I played against him.”
At one point, Phillies announcer Ben Davis, positioned in the dugout during the game, chimed in to note that between Schmidt, Brett, Phillies manager Don Mattingly, and Mets announcer Keith Hernandez, there were 31 Gold Gloves and 9,723 hits in the building.
“Who’s that talking?” Brett jokingly replied before taking a shot at himself.
“They always say you got 3,000 hits. I say, ‘No, I made 7,000 outs,’” Brett said, turning to Schmidt. “How many outs do you think you made?”
“Well, I know I made 7,000 strikeouts. I mean, I can count those,” Schmidt said.
The two even joked about their current roles. Brett serves as the Royals’ vice president of baseball operations, while Schmidt complained he can’t get a title with the Phillies.
“John Middletown, if you’re listening, give Mike a title,” Brett said. “I’m Mike Schmidt, and I own this stadium.”
So why was Brett in town for a Phillies-Mets game? To help Schmidt promote his “Play Sun Safe” skin cancer awareness campaign, something he’s been passionate about since being diagnosed with melanoma in 2013. As part of his partnership with the Phillies, 12 sunscreen stations have been placed across Citizens Bank Park during games.
As interesting as the pairing and the history was, the broadcast did lose focus of the game at times. Thankfully, McCarthy and company refocused after Derek Hill drove in Bryson Stott to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Phillies head to national TV, but Kruk will still be around
John Kruk will jump to NBC Sunday to call the Phillies on national TV.
The Phillies have Friday night off, but NBC Sports Philadelphia won’t be broadcasting the team again until Monday.
Saturday night’s game will air on Fox, with Joe Davis and John Smoltz calling the game and Ken Rosenthal reporting from Citizens Bank Park. Chris O’Connor, the brother of Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Timothy O’Connor, who was shot and killed during a Chester County traffic stop in March, will throw a ceremonial first pitch.
NBC will take over for Sunday Night Baseball, with Kruk back on the network to broadcast the game alongside play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and former Mets pitcher John Franco.
While Benetti is the voice of baseball on NBC, the network decided to turn to a rotating crew of analysts to call each game, one representing each team on the field. It’s largely a response to the biggest complaint networks hear when broadcasting baseball games — fans just want to hear their local announcers.
It’s the second game Kruk has called for NBC this season, though the first — an April loss to the Atlanta Braves — only streamed on Peacock. Hopefully this time Kruk will be a bit luckier for the Phillies. Having Zack Wheeler (6-1, 2.01 ERA) on the mound should help.
The Phillies will be back on Peacock July 5 when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates, but they won’t be alone. Peacock will exclusively stream 13 baseball games that day as part of an event NBC is calling “Star-Spangled Sunday.”
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Andrew Painter has a 1-8 record and 7.06 ERA, and opponents are batting .404.
