Overview
- Philadelphia announced Tuesday that it dismissed Rob Thomson after a 9-19 start that featured a 10-game losing streak and the worst run gap in MLB.
- Bench coach Don Mattingly takes over as interim through 2026, with Dusty Wathan promoted to bench coach and Triple-A manager Anthony Contreras elevated to third-base coach.
- The Phillies explored Alex Cora as a replacement, and multiple reports say he declined an offer to spend time with family despite his past title run with Dave Dombrowski in Boston.
- Coverage ties the collapse to roster design, citing right-handed hitters posting a historically poor .505 OPS against left-handed pitching and a failed offseason bid for power bat Bo Bichette.
- Dombrowski moved 28 games into the season despite saying he usually waits about 40, and Mattingly now manages a club run by his son, GM Preston Mattingly, as pressure shifts to fixing pitching, defense and lineup balance.