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Tag: Alec Bohm

  • ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Kevin Stocker on the infield shuffle, why Trea Turner isn’t an outfielder, and more

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Kevin Stocker on the infield shuffle, why Trea Turner isn’t an outfielder, and more

    In trading for Luis Arráez at the deadline, the Phillies displaced three-fourths of their infield with less than 50 games left in the season.

    It was unprecedented.

    Kevin Stocker, the Phillies’ pennant-winning shortstop in 1993 and now a member of the radio broadcast team, joined The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast, to share his thoughts on all the moving parts — Bryson Stott to third base, Alec Bohm to first, and Bryce Harper to right field — as well as the one player who stayed put: shortstop Trea Turner.

    Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Phillies Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

    Q: What was your reaction when you heard the Phillies were trading for Luis Arráez, and that they were going to uproot three-quarters of the infield with less than 50 games left in the season?

    A: I was happy because it was Luis Arráez. I like the kind of player that he is offensively, and very confused, I guess, onto the limitations he kind of put on if he was only going to play second. I got so many feelings about uprooting three guys in the middle of the season. It’s not like it’s new. We’ve seen this before with other guys. I think the most recent maybe Mookie Betts has moved. I remember back in the day, Robin Yount moved out to center because of an injury, but never three guys at once. So I guess if we were to take each spot as it is, for example, Bryson Stott having to move from second to third. I don’t think it’s going to affect Bryson as much, other than the fact … the middle infield, shortstop, and second base are your main spots that handle most of the baseballs. To me, Bryson Stott is probably the best fielder, definitely on this team. I know he’s not an All-Star. … He’s the captain of the infield, and now you’re moving him out of there. That was my first concern.

    … He’s constantly directing traffic, calling timeout. He’s helping the pitcher. You’re going to lose some of that by bumping him over to third base. However, defensively, I think he’ll be fine. He’s played that side of the infield, super strong arm. I don’t worry about him over there at all.

    Now you bump Bohm over to first. Now I think Alec has done tremendous things at third as far as making strides. He’s worked his tail off. He’s become pretty comfortable. I wouldn’t say he’s the best third baseman, anything like that. But he’s solid over there. At first base, to me, he’s got a lot to learn. I love the fact that he’s 6-5. If I was a shortstop throwing over there, I would want the tall first baseman. Fred McGriff was over there for me, and I loved that. So it’s going to take him a little while, I think, to kind of get better at first base.

    So that is a little bit interesting to me. It’s going to take him a while. I’m not sure how that’s going to go. I will say that in the same breath, I love that Harper’s going back to right field. … and here’s why. One, he’s a hitter first. When he’s on that field, he’s thinking about hitting. When he goes to first base to play defense, he’s still thinking about hitting. I’ve played with a lot of guys in my career, and all the hitters were the same. The guys in the outfield, I would look out in left field, and I might see a guy out there who’s a hitter, and he’s in between pitches. He’s working on a swing, and I’m like, ‘Hey, man, we got to play defense.’

    Luis Arraez is the latest Phillie Justin Crawford has pulled aside to ‘pick his brain’

    The infield demands so much focus all the time, and at first base, Bryce was good. He’s very athletic, but I think there was a lot of balls over there that he wasn’t comfortable maybe helping Trea out or helping the infielders out. Not that he was bad. I don’t know that he’s having the greatest year this year, but a couple years ago he was fine. I just think in right field to me, he will be a better hitter, better player, and happier. That’s just me. I haven’t seen him play a lot of right field, and I also think it takes care of the right field problem that the Phillies had. So you get Luis Arraez and people are like, ‘Why didn’t we go get a right fielder?’ Well, the Phillies did. They bumped Bryce out there and now they have one.

    Trea Turner’s 18 errors are second in baseball only to the Nationals’ CJ Abrams (19) going into Monday’s games.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
    Q: What’s your take on leaving Trea Turner at shortstop and moving everyone else around?

    A: I never saw Trea play outfield. I saw him play a little bit at second base. That was with the Dodgers for a short period of time, and I don’t think he was comfortable over there. But a lot of people want Trea to go to the outfield. So this is what I would say with that in the outfield. I’ve watched Trea long enough to know now that he is not the most aggressive player defensively. And what I mean by that is, for example, if he’s going back on a popup over his head, it’s pretty ginger when he goes back there. Whereas Bryson Stott just goes … running back. Trea doesn’t play that way. He’s a little bit more cautious.

    Trea Turner isn’t moving off shortstop (yet). The Phillies’ goal for now: Help him get better.

    So now everybody wants him to go to center. You do not want a cautious center fielder. That’ll totally mess up the corners. Now you got [Brandon] Marsh, and you got Harp over here. I’ve talked to [infield coach] Bobby [Dickerson] about this a lot. He’s worked so hard at shortstop. He’s not having that great year that he had last year, a much better year. I just don’t know if he’s better anywhere else on the field. And if you asked me to disrupt three guys, Turner would be the last one I would want to disrupt right now because that would just create a lot more problems in his head. And he’s starting to hit.

    The other thing about Trea, he is just like Harper. He is a hitter first, defense second. When I played, I was defense all the way. I think Stott is defense first, and then kind of mixes in the offense. So as a hitter-first guy, you’re going to get some years that are good. You’re going to get some years that he struggles, and it’s been a challenge there. But I just don’t think it would have been a wise move for me to move him. I just think that would have created more problems in his head.

    Kevin Stocker, seen here sliding into third base past the Expos’ Doug Strange for a triple in 1997, played five seasons with the Phillies.George Widman / AP
    Q: How was shortstop different for you when you were 24, 25, vs. when you were 30? How does it get harder as you get a little older?

    A: Well, there’s a couple of things. The most direct thing that gets tougher, whether you’re 30 or 33, you start to, I don’t want to say lose a step, but I needed to go out and take ground balls at full speed on Sunday morning when I did not want anything to do with that. I didn’t want to go take ground balls or BP. When I was younger, I was so jazzed. I was like, ‘I’m going to go to the park, and I would go get Bowa and say, ‘Let’s go take ground balls.’ … As you get older, you start to lose that edge. You start having to go out. … you’re just not getting in the same work, and so then what happens is you’re not quite playing … I call it playing on the edge. That’s where you want to be. So that’s one thing.

    Chase Utley’s path to the Phillies Wall of Fame was forged with hours in the video room

    And then you just don’t recover as quickly. You just don’t. Like that dive [Turner] had the other day, it was very jarring. When you lay out and you land on your chest, it is a huge jarring. … that stuff gets tougher to recover from the next day. You’re rolling out of bed, like I got hit by a truck. So the amount of work — that’s why I admire Edmundo Sosa, who has all these positions. He’s out there every day. He has to in order to keep the legs and the body moving.

    But I do remember that last year. I think I was even in camp with the Rockies. It was right before I retired, and I went out and played a little bit of shortstop. And I’m like, I’m not moving as fast as the other guy that’s 25, 26 to my left and right. So that’s one of the things I think is just keeping the edge to go out there and make sure you get the right amount of work in. I really admire the fact that Trea, at his age at 33, and the amount of time he’s played, hasn’t really lost a step. I don’t think he has. Sprinting and running. I think he’s guarded as times, like he’s not running full speed all the time, but I don’t know if he has to.

  • Phillies taking caution with Bryce Harper’s move to the outfield; Alec Bohm has preplanned day off

    Phillies taking caution with Bryce Harper’s move to the outfield; Alec Bohm has preplanned day off

    As Bryce Harper builds back up as an outfielder for the first time since 2022, the Phillies are remaining cautious with him.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly gave Harper a break from right field on Saturday against the Blue Jays, penciling him in the lineup at designated hitter. Kyle Schwarber made his third appearance of the season at first base, while Alec Bohm had the day off. Bryan De La Cruz started in right field.

    Mattingly thinks Harper has been fine defensively in a five-game sample in the outfield so far.

    Luis Arraez’s biggest strength made him a logical cleanup hitter for Don Mattingly. And it’s worked.

    “I think he looks more and more comfortable to me as he’s been out there,” Mattingly said. “The hardest thing for me is just depth perception out there. I’ve actually experienced it going from first, playing it for almost two years, and then asking me to go to left one day, and it didn’t go that well. So the depth perception thing is something that you always work on. The first step, getting angles, things like that.”

    Harper made one mistake on Wednesday, failing to immediately back up a ball hit to center field in the 11th inning against the Nationals. Derek Hill crashed into the fence trying to field it and stayed on the ground, while Harper didn’t move in right field until the ball started rolling in his direction.

    The delayed reaction allowed CJ Abrams to reach third on a triple. Mattingly said Harper’s lapse was a matter of not having enough reps.

    “Just wasn’t in the backing that play up, which is kind of a weird play, dead center in this ballpark. It’s not the one off that wall. But other than that, he’s stayed under control,” Mattingly said.

    Bryce Harper moved back to the outfield after the Phillies traded for Luis Arraez at the trade deadline.Matt Slocum

    Harper is still building up his arm, and he made a few strong throws on Friday night against Toronto. Late in games when the Phillies are leading, Mattingly has taken Harper out for a defensive replacement to give him an inning off his feet.

    Rest and days at designated hitter are going to be important for keeping Harper, 33, healthy the rest of the season.

    “I still think we’re going to have to be careful,” Mattingly said. “It’s a read that kind of goes back into our medical meetings every day, how he’s feeling and how everything’s going. There’s going to be days if he’s more sore, had more running. They’re tracking. We track everything nowadays, so we’re going to know if he’s been on his feet more.”

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    Day off for Bohm

    The day off for Bohm was preplanned to get Schwarber in the field, Mattingly said, and had nothing to do with his performance on Friday night. With the bases loaded and the Phillies trailing by one run in the ninth, Bohm grounded into a force out at home on the first pitch he saw. After the final out, Bohm was visibly frustrated in the Phillies dugout.

    “I trust Alec,” Mattingly said. “I know there’s been a lot of talk about him, and obviously today’s a day where we had a chance last night to do something. But he wasn’t the only guy that didn’t get a hit in the right spot.”

    Mattingly said he thinks Saturday could be a good opportunity for Bohm to get a day off, but going forward he is not considering scaling back Bohm’s playing time. Bohm is hitting .225 this season with a .642 OPS.

    Alec Bohm is hitting .225 this season with a .642 OPS. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “I don’t expect to go away from him,” Mattingly said. “He’s been really good around the bag. Over the course of the year, there’s been some ups and downs. There’s been some good sections and some sections that haven’t looked as good, but for the most part, he’s been a guy that’s driven in some big runs for us.

    “Reset is not a great word, I don’t think, for this situation. I think it’s more this was a normal day that we were going to do. But I do think the day’s not bad for him from the standpoint of bodywise, and just a day off in this stretch.”

    Extra bases

    Andrew Painter threw a bullpen session Saturday and remains on track to make his next scheduled start on Monday after exiting his previous outing with hamstring tightness. … Jesús Luzardo (10-5, 3.36 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale against Toronto right-hander Shane Bieber (3-2, 5.11).

  • Phillies’ addition of Luis Arraez means an infield shuffle: ‘What are we going to say, no, we’re not moving?’

    Phillies’ addition of Luis Arraez means an infield shuffle: ‘What are we going to say, no, we’re not moving?’

    A little over four years ago, Bryson Stott made his major league debut at third base.

    It was not his natural position — he had been a shortstop in college, and primarily played there through the minor leagues — but there was an opportunity at third on opening day in 2022, and so that’s where Stott found himself.

    “People forget,” Stott said. “So I got some [experience]. I don’t know, four days of spring training at third, and … two games at third in my career.”

    Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    But Stott is about to get a whole lot more experience there, as the Phillies are planning to move him to third to open up second base for Luis Arraez. They acquired the infielder from the Giants on Monday along with right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian in exchange for two minor league prospects.

    Interim manager Don Mattingly texted Stott on Monday morning to let him know the plan.

    “I told him the same thing I’ve said for years: I don’t care. I just want to play,” Stott said.

    Arraez brings a National League-leading .324 batting average, elite bat control, and a strong preference to play second base to the Phillies. He has played first base in the past, but was open about his desire to stay at second even before the Phillies began their pursuit.

    Luis Arraez has played first base but prefers to stick at second.Lindsey Wasson

    “It’s probably more about him and his concerns,” Mattingly said of Arraez. “So I think that’s fair. I think Dave [Dombrowski] knew that going in that wasn’t really an option for him.”

    Also shuffling positions will be Alec Bohm, who will be moving from third to first, and Bryce Harper, who will be moving from first to right field. Bohm and Harper have plenty of experience at their positions, although Harper’s last game in the outfield came in April 2022, prior to tearing his UCL.

    Stott, on the other hand, only has those two games. But he doesn’t look at third much differently.

    Phillies trade for Mets left-handed reliever Brooks Raley

    “I’m just going to try and catch it and throw it, and not think anything much more, and make it bigger than it is, and go for it,” he said.

    The main difference from third is the longer throw, which requires the infielder to throw over the top. With the shorter distance from second base, Stott is accustomed to throwing sidearm.

    “I think just where I start the ball is going to be big,” Stott said. “My ball tends to carry a lot and kind of stays true. So if it starts high, it’s probably going to end up high, so just finding that starting point and going from there.”

    Shortstop Trea Turner is the only Phillies infielder not changing positions.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The only Phillies infielder not moving positions is Trea Turner, who will remain at shortstop despite a league-worst -14 defensive runs saved at the position this year. Mattingly and Dombrowski said moving Turner off shortstop was not something the Phillies have discussed.

    “He works hard at it,” Dombrowski said. “And I’ve seen fielders go through struggling times, just like hitters do and pitchers do, so he’s a proven big league player, and I think he’ll do fine.”

    The Phillies’ infield as a whole has struggled this season. They have turned 65 double plays this season, tied with the Dodgers for fewest in the majors. As a collective, Phillies infielders have posted a -13 fielding run value.

    By the same metrics, Arraez has been a plus defender at second base this season (+9 fielding run value), but now he’s joining a completely new-look Phillies infield.

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    Mattingly isn’t concerned.

    “Not with Stott. Feel like he can play anywhere on the infield, honestly, and be really, really good,” Mattingly said. “So, really, no concern with him. Just makes us better, and we got to get better. We got to figure out ways to be consistent with our scoring and things like that. So I have no concern about moving them.”

    Even with three players switching positions four months into the season, Dombrowski thinks the infield has “a chance to be” better defensively.

    He also said these moves are temporary. Harper expects to move back to first base next season, and the Phillies view Stott as a second baseman.

    The switch to third base Bryson Stott is not long term. They still view him as a second baseman.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    “Arraez, we think is a pretty equal situation at second base. We like Stott at third base. He’s been a good third baseman when he played there before,” Dombrowski said. “It’ll take him a little while to get up to it. And we like Bohm at first base.”

    According to Mattingly, Harper’s willingness to move back to the outfield is “the key to this.”

    Harper had repeatedly reiterated his willingness to switch positions if the right move materialized to Mattingly and Dombrowski over the past week. As the Phillies and the Giants inched closer to pushing the deal for Arraez over the finish line on Sunday night, Harper texted Dombrowski, telling him again he’d be happy to move.

    And his agreement led the way for his teammates.

    “It should be not lost that our superstar first baseman, two-time MVP is willing to move,” Stott said. “And when you’re on a team and you see a guy do that, what are we going to say, no, we’re not moving?”

    Extra bases

    Jesús Luzardo (9-5, 3.57 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday opposite Nationals right-hander Zack Littell (7-8, 4.94 ERA). New acquisitions Arraez, Kilian, and reliever Brooks Raley are expected to be active Tuesday. … Just ahead of the 6 p.m. trade deadline Monday, the Phillies made a minor swap with the A’s, sending right-hander Seth Johnson in exchange for outfielder Colby Thomas. Thomas was optioned to triple A.

  • Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    Phillies acquire Luis Arraez in trade with Giants; Bryce Harper moving back to RF

    Luis Arraez is neither an outfielder nor a right-handed hitter. But he is the Phillies’ solution for scoring more runs.

    Even though it puts Bryce Harper back in right field.

    Welcome to the Phillies’ brave new world.

    Amid an underwhelming market for righty-swinging outfielders, Dave Dombrowski made a trade-deadline splash Monday, acquiring Arraez — a lefty-hitting second baseman — and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants for two minor leaguers, including breakout pitching prospect Ramon Marquez — and in the process, uprooting three-quarters of the infield and transplanting Harper to the outfield for the first time since April 2022.

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    Then, in an almost concurrent trade, the Phillies picked up veteran lefty reliever Brooks Raley from the Mets for minor-league outfielder John Spikerman and right-hander Luke Gabrysh.

    “Obviously,” Harper said, “it’s been a good deadline. I think [Dombrowski]’s done a great job.”

    Harper said he didn’t know the Phillies were talking to the Giants about Arraez when he texted Dombrowski on Sunday night, after a conversation over the weekend in Baltimore with manager Don Mattingly. In both cases, he reiterated what he has said for years: For another productive hitter who played in the infield, he would make a short-term move back to right field.

    With Harper clearing the way, the Phillies pivoted to Arraez, a contact-hitting savant and three-time batting champion with a bead on a fourth. He’s leading the National League with a .324 average and has struck out only 21 times in 464 plate appearances.

    In short, he’s like almost no other modern hitter.

    Luis Arraez has more walks (25) than strikeouts (21).
    Gregory Bull

    “He’s kind of like the modern day like Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs,” said Mattingly, who played with both. “The guy just hits. He’s always hit, [won] batting titles, and just continues to do it. Obviously a huge addition to the lineup.”

    But in pivoting to a hitter whom they believe will have a bigger impact than any of the righty-hitting outfielders they were scouting, the Phillies threw into flux an infield that already ranks among the worst defensive groups in the majors.

    Arraez wants to stay at second base, where he improved defensively this season under Giants infield coach Ron Washington. Mattingly said the Phillies “wouldn’t have made the trade if we weren’t going to put him at second,” but really, they had little choice. The out-of-contention Giants assured Arraez they would only trade him to a team that would use him there.

    Effective Tuesday night, then, when Arraez joins the Phillies, second baseman Bryson Stott will move to third base, third baseman Alec Bohm will go to first, and yes, Harper will shift back to the grass.

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    “The key for me is Harp,” Mattingly said. “Harp moving to the outfield is really the key to this.”

    Said Harper: “I’ve said it in years past — I mean, I know everybody thinks it’s crap when I say it, but it’s not. Any chance that we have an opportunity to win, I’d do anything for this organization. And they know that.”

    In the weeks leading up to the deadline, the Phillies focused on three areas: a right-handed bat, a late-inning reliever, and a starting pitcher. With so many needs and few assets in the farm system, it seemed like a challenge for Dombrowski to get everything.

    As a team, the Phillies entered the week tied for 28th in the majors in on-base percentage (.304). In particular, they have gotten less production than any team from the right side of the plate, with a worst-in-the-majors .280 on-base percentage and .644 OPS.

    But neither Mike Trout nor Byron Buxton has signaled a willingness to waive their no-trade rights. (In Buxton’s case, the Twins are a playoff contender in the American League.) The Reds’ Spencer Steer injured his wrist and may miss the rest of the season; the Royals traded Lane Thomas to the Braves; the Angels’ Jo Adell has a .279 career on-base percentage; and the Orioles were noncommittal on trading Taylor Ward.

    (Adell and Ward were ultimately dealt to the Guardians and Mariners, respectively, Monday.)

    Given the state of the market, the Phillies felt they needed to get creative. So, they widened their search over the weekend, according to major league sources, and landed on Arraez, who has a .360 on-base percentage and figures to help set the table for Kyle Schwarber and Harper.

    “He’s a guy that won the batting title a couple of years and somebody that’s going to put the bat on the ball,” Harper said. “Exciting player, you know? I think he just brings a lot to our lineup. He’s got that hit tool, and it’s somebody that can be really good for us.”

    The Phillies also acquired Kilian, a 29-year-old righty, to add depth to the middle of the bullpen. He has a 4.26 ERA in 46 games this season, but hasn’t allowed a run in eight of his last 11 appearances.

    The move comes at a cost for a farm system that was already ranked among the worst in baseball.

    Marquez, a hard-throwing 20-year-old right-hander, has emerged this season, prompting debate among scouts about whether he or 2025 first-round pick Gage Wood was the best pitching prospect in the system. Scouts are impressed by Marquez’s changeup and an uptick in his fastball velocity. He has a 1.50 ERA in six starts since moving up to high-A Jersey Shore.

    Marty Gair, a 23-year-old, was recently promoted to Jersey Shore. He has a 4.50 ERA and six saves in 30 appearances overall this season.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    Raley is shaping up as an important addition, especially given the powerhouse Dodgers’ lefty-heavy lineup. In 41⅓ innings with the Mets, the 38-year-old veteran had a 1.96 ERA. A pending free agent, he will join José Alvarado as the lefty weapons to combat Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and Kyle Tucker in the middle and late innings.

    “I see him more towards the back end,” Mattingly said. “Obviously we’ve got Alvy, who’s throwing the ball really good. But we’ll take all the arms we can get out there.”

  • More mistakes on offense and a bullpen implosion doom Phillies in 9-5 loss to the Dodgers

    More mistakes on offense and a bullpen implosion doom Phillies in 9-5 loss to the Dodgers

    A day after a pair of baserunning blunders sealed the Phillies’ 2-1 loss to the Dodgers, they committed another perplexing series of mistakes on Wednesday.

    Bryan De La Cruz had just blasted a game-tying home run in the fifth inning for his first hit in a Phillies uniform, and Bryson Stott kept the pressure on Dodgers lefty Eric Lauer with a double to center field.

    First, Rafael Marchán failed to advance Stott when he popped up a bunt attempt. And when Trea Turner’s 13-pitch at-bat ended with a grounder to third base, Stott ran right into the tag from Max Muncy.

    Brandon Marsh out of the lineup with the Phillies facing a second straight lefty starter vs. Dodgers

    If he stayed at second, there would have been a runner in scoring position for Kyle Schwarber, who was due up next and popped out to end the frame. When Muncy hit a two-run shot off Aaron Nola the next inning that put the Dodgers ahead for the 9-5 win, the what if loomed even larger.

    “I think his thoughts were probably Muncy’s back and the ball’s hit hard, probably thinking he’s going to drop step on that ball, and he comes and gets it,” said interim manager Don Mattingly. “But if he had to do it again, he probably wouldn’t do it.”

    Another bullpen meltdown ultimately broke the game open, but the lapses and lack of fundamentals in both the Phillies’ losses to the Dodgers this week are a growing concern for a team with postseason aspirations.

    “Obviously, we got to execute,” Mattingly said. “We make the out at third when you’re already in scoring position, it’s not something you want to see. We didn’t get a hit after that, so I guess if you play it out it didn’t really matter, but still, it’s a situation where obviously we don’t want to run into an out of third base when we’re in scoring position.”

    Another concern cropped up when Marchán left the game during the ninth inning with left knee pain. Garrett Stubbs was already placed on the injured list Tuesday with left wrist inflammation, and if the imaging Marchán undergoes Thursday reveals an injury, the Phillies will need a reinforcement catcher to back up J.T. Realmuto.

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    Before Nola left a changeup up in the zone for Muncy in the sixth inning, Seth Johnson had already been warming in the bullpen. Nola had been efficient early but started to show cracks in the fifth, when nine-hole hitter Dalton Rushing drove in two runs with a double.

    With his pitch count still in good shape at 74, Mattingly decided to leave Nola in for the heart of the Dodgers order, starting with lefty Freddie Freeman. Mattingly said afterward that he felt thin in the bullpen, with several guys unavailable.

    “He’d gotten Freddie out once, Muncy out a couple times with the slower stuff. It was a spot,” Mattingly said. “I can go left-handed there or at the bottom and turn the corner and get back to it. So I’m trying to get through the sixth there, and then kind of sets us up right.”

    Aaron Nola gave up a two-run homer in the sixth inning and didn’t last much longer after.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    But Freeman pounced on a curveball for a double, before Muncy sent the changeup into the seats in left-center field. Nola rebounded by striking out Mookie Betts, but his night ended there, charged with five earned runs in 5⅓ innings. Johnson took over, striking out Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández.

    “It’s definitely frustrating. I feel like when I do go six or seven innings, it gives the team a better chance to win,” Nola said. “I put them in a better spot and put the bullpen in a better spot. Haven’t really done that too much this year, and then when I have gone out in the sixth and seventh I’ve kind of been hit by the long ball.”

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    The Dodgers then ran up the score against the bullpen with four runs the eighth inning. Tim Mayza left two inherited runners for Orion Kerkering, who then walked Betts on four pitches to load the bases.

    A sacrifice fly scored one, and Kerkering’s command wavered again as he walked Hernández. Tommy Edman made him pay, lacing a bases-clearing triple to deep center field that gave the Dodgers a six-run cushion.

    Alec Bohm, who also homered in the first inning, got a run back with an RBI single in the eighth that found a hole in the infield. After taking over for an injured Marchán in the ninth, Realmuto drove in another run with a single of his own. But the rally was stifled quickly when Turner struck out on three pitches to end the game.

    Alec Bohm gave the Phillies an early lead with a two-run homer in the first inning.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Reliever Alex McFarlane made his major league debut in the ninth. His first assignment was Shohei Ohtani, who flew out on the first pitch. McFarlane’s outing was briefly interrupted after Marchán left the game with the trainers, but once Realmuto took over, he induced groundouts from Andy Pages and Muncy.

    The Phillies have lost both series against the Dodgers this season and have been outscored 34-23 in six games.

    But even the last two losses — and the concerning lack of fundamentals within them — haven’t changed how Mattingly thinks the Phillies stack up against the defending World Series champions.

    “Nothing in this series changes our thoughts,” he said. “If we play well, we’re capable of beating anybody. So there’s nothing that happened in this series that changes my view at all.”

  • Phillies’ costly baserunning blunder highlights a rain-delayed 2-1 loss to the Dodgers

    Phillies’ costly baserunning blunder highlights a rain-delayed 2-1 loss to the Dodgers

    Justin Crawford stood on third base, with one out in the ninth inning, and got his instructions: Run on contact … unless the ball is hit to third.

    The ball was hit to third.

    Crawford ran anyway.

    “Just one of those things,” the rookie said, “that can’t happen.”

    But it wasn’t the Phillies’ worst baserunning blunder on the inexcusable double play that ended Tuesday night’s rain-delayed 2-1 loss to the Dodgers. No, that belonged to J.T. Realmuto, a veteran who conceded he should’ve known better.

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    As Crawford got stuck in a rundown between home and third, Realmuto ran to third base. At worst, he should’ve been at third, with Brandon Marsh reaching second, two outs, and a chance to still win the game.

    Instead, Realmuto turned back. And after the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts tagged Crawford, he fired to second base to easily catch Realmuto retreating.

    All together now: Yikes.

    “It was just a bad baserunning play, really,” Realmuto said. “Once Craw gets in the rundown, I’m on third base. There’s no reason for me to go back to second. Just a lapse of judgment. Can’t make two outs on that play.”

    But it wouldn’t have been Phillies-Dodgers in Citizens Bank Park without a pivotal play at third base in the ninth inning of a one-run game.

    Think back, if you can stomach it, to Game 2 of the divisional round series last October. With the tying run on second base and nobody out, the Phillies called for Bryson Stott to bunt. Betts alertly covered third, and the Dodgers cut down Nick Castellanos for a costly out.

    In this case, Crawford explained he took off from third base because Marsh hit the ball softly — 47.5 mph off the bat. But third baseman Max Muncy was already playing in on the grass and didn’t have to range far for the ball.

    “I was like, OK, he cued it, so I kind of thought I’ve got a chance [to score],” Crawford said. “And by the time I realized I wasn’t going to be able to make it, it was kind of too late. Just got to make a better decision next time.”

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    Interim manager Don Mattingly remembered it slightly differently, noting that Crawford was told to run on contact no matter what. Either way, he stayed in the rundown long enough for the Phillies to have runners on second and third when he got tagged out.

    If only Realmuto stayed put.

    “I don’t know what J.T. was thinking there,” Mattingly said. “Honestly.”

    Not enough, according to Realmuto.

    “Maybe something I could have done better was play that in my head before it happened,” he said. “I think that’s something, on the base paths you have to be proactive and think of those things. I was more just trying to get a good lead, get a good jump, and score on a base hit, where I should have maybe thought through that scenario before the play.”

    In any case, it was another nail-biting chapter between National League powers that couldn’t be more evenly matched. In a postseason vanquishing by the Dodgers last year, the Phillies lost three games by a total of four runs.

    Zack Wheeler wasn’t involved in any of them.

    We offer that as “a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded,” to use Wheeler’s line, that the Phillies will be an even tougher out this October — assuming they (a) make the playoffs and (b) can line up Cristopher Sánchez and Wheeler to start Games 1 and 2.

    Because one night after the Phillies won behind Sánchez, Wheeler subdued the Dodgers but for one pitch, a first-pitch cutter that Muncy hit into the center-field shrubbery in the fourth inning.

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    It was the deciding blow and the only dent in Wheeler over seven innings.

    “Maybe not the best pitch in that situation,” Wheeler said. “Just because we got him on it a couple different times in that first at-bat, so he probably went up there saying, ‘You got me on this.’ He was probably just ready for it.”

    Wheeler said he “second-guessed in my head” throwing another cutter to Muncy. But he also hardly ever shakes off Realmuto.

    “I trust him more than anybody,” Wheeler said.

    After an 80-minute rain delay at the outset, the game had a postseason feel, from the duel between Wheeler and lefty Justin Wrobleski to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts using Tanner Scott for a five-out save.

    And, of course, the crazy ending.

    Alec Bohm‘s two-out RBI single gave the Phillies a lead in the first inning. But they managed only three more hits against Wrobleski. He shut them down for seven innings in May at Dodger Stadium, part of a stellar first half that put him in the All-Star Game.

    Wheeler was irritated by being left out. Since then, he has allowed a total of three runs in 20 innings over his last three starts, a revenge tour that has lowered his already teeny-tiny ERA to 2.16 and put him squarely in the Cy Young conversation.

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    The Dodgers goofed on the bases in the third inning, and it cost them a run. Shohei Ohtani tried to stretch a two-out single and got thrown out at second base before slow-footed Eliezer Alfonzo crossed the plate.

    But the Phillies’ game-ending gaffe topped everything.

    “A lot of times these games are going to be won by the little things,” Realmuto said. “They’ve been able to make less mistakes than we have in our series, going back to last postseason. They’re such a powerful team. But we match up well with them, I think.

    “Where we have to get better is on those edges, make the small plays, make the routine plays, and not give them extra outs, not give away outs on the bases, stuff like that. It’s the little things that you have to do well to beat a team like that.”

  • The MLB draft in Philly has a few firsts, including the Phillies being penalized

    The MLB draft in Philly has a few firsts, including the Phillies being penalized

    The 2026 Major League Baseball draft kicks off Saturday in Center City Philadelphia as part of the All-Star festivities, taking place in the City of Brotherly Love for the first time since the production hit the road in 2021.

    Another first? NBC will broadcast the first hour and a half of the draft, which kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. It’s the first time since MLB started televising the draft live in 2007 that it’ll air on broadcast TV, at least until it switches over to the MLB Network at 2:30 p.m.

    The MLB draft hasn’t historically been a big TV draw because of how long it takes players to make it to the big leagues. Last year’s No. 1 pick, shortstop Eli Willits, is just 18 and is currently playing for the Washington Nationals’ single-A team in Fredericksburg, Va.

    The fastest top pick to be called up? Former third baseman (and one-time Phillie) Dave Roberts, who started just one day after being taken with the No. 1 pick by the San Diego Padres in 1972.

    For the fourth-straight year, the first six picks of the draft were determined by a lottery that took place in December. The Chicago White Sox enter the draft with the No. 1 pick for the first time since 1977, when they took future Hall of Famer Harold Baines.

    The Phillies don’t technically have a first-round pick; they were pushed back 10 spots because their 2025 roster exceeded the second surcharge of MLB’s luxury tax. As a result, they have the No. 36 pick, the first time in franchise history they’ve received such a penalty.

    Here’s everything to know about the MLB draft:

    2026 MLB draft TV schedule

    Former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels will be among the analysts on TV for the 2026 MLB draft. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The 2026 MLB draft is scheduled to begin Saturday at 1 p.m. Philly time at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and run through 7:45 p.m., but not all of it will air on TV.

    NBC will broadcast the first hour and a half, covering the first 10 picks, before handing off to MLB Network at 2:30 p.m. The event will shift to streaming only at 4:30 p.m., with both Peacock (which is streaming the entire draft) and MLB.com carrying the proceedings through the fourth round.

    Rounds 5 through 20 will stream on Peacock and MLB.com Sunday beginning at 11:30 a.m.

    While NBC is dipping its toes into broadcasting the draft, MLB Network will be handling the production. A new face this year will be 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels, who will provide analysis alongside Mark DeRosa, Harold Reynolds, and former Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd. Coverage will be hosted by Greg Amsinger.

    Phillies 2026 MLB draft picks

    The 2026 MLB draft will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies have five picks Saturday: Nos. 36, 64, 100, 128, and 135.

    They’ll get 16 more Sunday, beginning with the No. 161 pick in the fifth round and ending with the No. 209 pick in the 20th round.

    Yes, the MLB draft is long, but a lot shorter than it used to be. The draft used to last 40 rounds before being cut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2011, it ran upwards of 50 rounds.

    Who will the Phillies draft with their first-round pick?

    It’s really anyone’s guess who the Phillies will take with the No. 36 pick, but experts have some thoughts.

    In his final MLB mock draft, ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel has the Phillies selecting 2026 grad Archer Horn, a shortstop prospect who already committed to Stanford after batting .406 with six homers this year for St. Ignatius Prep in San Francisco.

    One other name McDaniel mentioned is Taj Marchand out of South Carolina, another high school shortstop, who hit .531 with 13 home runs this year. But Marchand is expected to be taken before the Phillies are on the clock.

    MLB Network’s Jonathan Mayo predicted the Phillies would take Notre Dame pitcher Jack Radel in his most-recent mock draft.

    The Athletic’s Keith Law, who correctly predicted the Phillies would take Gage Wood last year with the No. 26 pick, didn’t include the Phillies in his final mock draft.

    Recent Phillies first-round picks

    The Phillies drafted pitching prospect Gage Wood with their first-round pick last year. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies have had some success landing major league players in recent years, with three former first-round picks — Justin Crawford, Bryson Stott, and Alec Bohm — currently starting for the team.

    Andrew Painter, the Phillies top pitching prospect, struggled during 12 starts for the team this season and was demoted to triple A last month. The Phillies haven’t outlined a timetable for when he could return.

    Two former first-round picks play for other teams. Mickey Moniak, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2022 and currently plays for the Colorado Rockies. Pitcher Mitch Abel, taken with the No. 15 pick in 2020, was traded to the Minnesota Twins last year in the deal that landed closer Jhoan Duran.

    Here are the Phillies recent first-round picks:

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    MLB draft first-round order

    This year, the first round of the draft has just 25 true picks. Three teams — the Phillies, New York Yankees, and New York Mets, exceeded MLB’s surcharge tax threshold in 2025, pushing their first-round picks 10 spots down into the second round.

    The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros were awarded picks for promoting prospects

    There are also a handful of compensatory picks that will take place after all the first-round picks have been made.

    Here is the order for the first round, including supplemental picks that begin with No. 26:

    1. Chicago White Sox
    2. Tampa Bay Rays
    3. Minnesota Twins
    4. San Francisco Giants
    5. Pittsburgh Pirates
    6. Kansas City Royals
    7. Baltimore Orioles
    8. Athletics
    9. Atlanta Braves
    10. Colorado Rockies
    11. Washington Nationals
    12. Los Angeles Angels
    13. St. Louis Cardinals
    14. Miami Marlins
    15. Arizona Diamondbacks
    16. Texas Rangers
    17. Houston Astros
    18. Cincinnati Reds
    19. Cleveland Guardians
    20. Boston Red Sox
    21. San Diego Padres
    22. Detroit Tigers
    23. Chicago Cubs
    24. Seattle Marines
    25. Milwaukee Brewers
    26. Atlanta Braves (prospect incentive)
    27. New York Mets (luxury tax penalty)
    28. Houston Astros (prospect incentive)
    29. San Francisco Giants (via trade)
    30. Kansas City Royals
    31. Arizona Diamondbacks
    32. St. Louis Cardinals
    33. Tampa Bay Rays (via trade)
    34. Pittsburgh Pirates
    35. New York Yankees (luxury tax penalty)
    36. Philadelphia Phillies (luxury tax penalty)
    37. Colorado Rockies
  • Trea Turner’s hot bat sets the tone vs. Pirates ace Paul Skenes in Phillies’ 10-6 win

    Trea Turner’s hot bat sets the tone vs. Pirates ace Paul Skenes in Phillies’ 10-6 win

    When you’re a two-time batting champion in the midst of a three-month slump, everyone looks for the littlest hint of a breakout. A line drive here, a home run there, anything to forecast the inevitable hot streak.

    Trea Turner has heard it since April.

    “When [reporters] ask me if I’m back, I’m like, ‘I don’t know,’” the Phillies’ star shortstop said recently. “Like, I’ve got to do it for three, four days. You could have a good game here or there, but it’s about consistency.”

    OK, then. How about two weeks’ worth of good games? Or three consecutive games with a homer? Or turning on a sweeper from Paul Skenes and hitting it into the left-field seats Wednesday night to power a 10-6 pounding of the Pirates, the Phillies’ seventh win in nine games?

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    Is Turner finally hot?

    Was it 96 degrees at first pitch?

    “I feel like the last three or four weeks have been pretty solid,” Turner said. “I know how good I am. I know how good I can be, focusing on the last three weeks and getting back to two-strike hitting and scoring runs. I feel like I’ve scored runs at a really good clip because the guys behind me are playing so well.

    “But that’s my job, to score runs, so I feel like the last few weeks have been really good.”

    Interim manager Don Mattingly seems amused by the topic. After Turner doubled, homered, and drove in three runs on his 33rd birthday Tuesday night, Mattingly answered a question with two playful questions: “Is he coming back? Is he going yet?”

    Phillies co-ace Zack Wheeler gave up four runs in only 4⅔ innings Wednesday night.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    But it’s clear Turner has rediscovered … something. He said he has been pleased with his two-strike approach. He’s making better adjustments within a game. After popping up in his first at-bat against Skenes, he ditched his leg kick before the home run.

    Most importantly, Mattingly noted that Turner isn’t swinging at as many pitches out of the strike zone.

    “He’s always going to chase a little bit,” Mattingly said. “But when it’s not in the other batter’s box, you know he’s starting to see the ball and take some closer pitches, foul some balls off, and get to balls.”

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    Add it up, and since June 17, when he was reinstalled in the leadoff spot, Turner is 21-for-60 to hike his average from .216 to .239 and his OPS from .595 to .655.

    It’s still not the production that Turner is accustomed to, but hey, it’s a start.

    “I feel like [the numbers] are not going to look good probably no matter what I do for a while,” he said. “Just try to focus on some good progress and then keep rolling with it and see where they end up at the end of the year.”

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    Turner’s revival is happening at a perfect time. Not only are the Phillies (49-38) closing fast on the division-leading Braves, going from 9½ games out on June 7 to only 2½, but the trade deadline is looming on Aug. 3.

    The Phillies entered play Wednesday with the lowest OPS in baseball from their right-handed hitters (.607). But as much as they needed another bat from the right side, they’re unlikely to be able to acquire one as good as Turner.

    In case any of the 41,766 paying customers forgot after Turner finished fifth in the NL MVP race last season, his tone-setting ability was on display again in the worst start of Skenes’ career.

    A presupposed pitchers’ duel between Skenes and Zack Wheeler turned into a dud. The Phillies thumped Skenes for eight runs (seven earned) in four innings; Wheeler gave up four runs and wasn’t happy to be lifted with two out in the fifth inning after 104 pitches, snapping his streak of 53 starts of at least five innings dating back to June 2024.

    “I feel like I’ve earned that,” Wheeler said.

    Neither ace exhibited his usual command. And Skenes was hurt by the Pirates’ defense. With the bases loaded in the second inning, Justin Crawford chopped a ball to third baseman Nick Gonzales, whose throw to the plate hit Alec Bohm and rolled away, enabling two runs to score.

    Up stepped Turner, who got a sweeper on the inner half of the plate and pulled it out to left field for a three-run homer.

    Skenes hadn’t allowed more than five runs in any of his previous 72 major league starts. The Phillies hung a five-spot on him in the second inning. Brandon Marsh tacked on a leadoff homer in the third before Bryce Harper’s two-run double in the fourth opened an 8-2 lead.

    It wasn’t the first time the Phillies conquered Skenes. They clipped him for five runs May 17 in Pittsburgh. He has allowed 39 earned runs all season; 12 have come against the Phillies.

    What if the Phillies’ most impactful addition was a resurgent Trea Turner? He’s working to make it happen.

    Their secret?

    “Our club’s not really afraid of anybody,” Mattingly said. “It doesn’t matter who the guy is. We’ve got guys who’ve had success in their career, and you’re not shying away from guys like this.”

    Turner added: “I think we’ve got a good team.”

    The Phillies are on a 109-win pace under Mattingly (40-19) after a 9-19 start that prompted a managerial change.

    And now they’ve got Turner playing like Turner again.

    “Somebody asked me earlier, when do I feel like Trea’s going good,” Mattingly said. “Once a guy gets rolling, I mean, you know it’s there and he finds the field. … Trea’s been going for a while now.”

  • Zack Wheeler is outpacing previous seasons with his ‘remarkable’ return from thoracic outlet syndrome

    Zack Wheeler is outpacing previous seasons with his ‘remarkable’ return from thoracic outlet syndrome

    NEW YORK — Jacob Misiorowski has The Heater (105.5 mph!), and Cristopher Sánchez had The Streak (50⅔ scoreless innings!), and Shohei Ohtani is, well, Shohei Ohtani!

    But at the midpoint of the schedule, there’s another nominee for the best pitching story in baseball: The Comeback, by Zack Wheeler.

    Wheeler gave up one run in seven innings here Friday night against the Mets. And although he got a major assist from center fielder Derek Hill, it still marked the eighth time in his last nine starts that he allowed less than three runs.

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    It’s almost like the 36-year-old righty didn’t have a rib removed nine months ago to relieve a compressed vein near his collarbone.

    “Yeah,” interim manager Don Mattingly said, “it’s been pretty remarkable.”

    Never mind that Wheeler had the less threatening form of thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s a condition that has derailed many pitching careers. Yet here he is, with a 2.03 ERA that ranks fifth among 100 pitchers with at least 70 innings entering play Saturday.

    If you didn’t know what Wheeler went through last summer, beginning with the discovery of a blood clot near his right shoulder after an Aug. 15 start, well, you wouldn’t know.

    His average fastball velocity is down a tick to 95.3 mph, but he can still dial up 97. (He scraped 97.7 mph Friday night against Mets star Juan Soto.) And he still changes speeds with a sweeper, splitter, and curveball.

    Wheeler won’t admit that he’s surprised by any of this. Then again, he couldn’t allow himself to expect anything less.

    “I mean, you almost have to, right?” he said. “You’ve got to have that mindset when you get hurt and you’re going to have surgery. You just build out your plan in your head — what it’s going to be like, and where you want to be at the end — and you kind of just tick those boxes off as you go.

    “You’re always going to have your ups and downs. That’s going to happen with the human body. It doesn’t always go your way. But for the most part it went pretty smooth, and, yeah, I always envisioned myself coming back and hitting the ground running.”

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    Even as he was coming back from surgery and regaining strength after losing “a good bit” of weight, Wheeler said he set the same three goals: “win the Cy Young, win the World Series, and make the All-Star Game.” He could check off the latter next Saturday when the All-Star rosters are announced.

    Wheeler was named to the National League team last year and in 2023 but didn’t attend the game either time. This year, with Philadelphia hosting the game, he won’t have to travel. But if the Phillies stay on rotation, he would start the final game before the break, leaving him unavailable to pitch in the All-Star Game.

    In any case, Wheeler has never had a lower ERA through his first 12 starts of a season. Even in his runner-up Cy Young finishes in 2021 and 2024, his ERA through 12 starts was 2.51 and 2.32, respectively.

    Zack Wheeler is making a strong case to be an All-Star for the third time in the last four years.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    And yet, ever the perfectionist, Wheeler insists his command isn’t as sharp as it can be.

    “Something’s still a tick off, and I hate saying that just because it was a good game,” Wheeler said. “But I’m so used to throwing eight or nine pitches out of 10 where I exactly want it. So, when that’s not happening, I feel like it’s just not there all the way.

    “But I know things are going well. I’m feeling strong, so I’ll take that for sure.”

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    A break for Bohm

    One day after grounding into three double plays, as part of a 1-for-19 funk, third baseman Alec Bohm wasn’t in the lineup Saturday against Mets righty Christian Scott.

    “He just looked tired last night,” Mattingly said of Bohm. “I thought he was dragging a little bit. It’s just a day.”

    Edmundo Sosa started in Bohm’s place.

    Extra bases

    Reliever Brad Keller (right forearm inflammation) has progressed to throwing a bullpen session within the next few days, Mattingly said. … Andrew Painter is slated to start Sunday for the first time since getting demoted to triple A on June 17. … Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.39 ERA) will start the series finale at 1:40 p.m. Sunday and Mets lefty opener Cionel Pérez (3-3, 4.99).

  • Three Phillies in running to start the All-Star Game after first phase of voting, but not Bryce Harper

    Three Phillies in running to start the All-Star Game after first phase of voting, but not Bryce Harper

    With less than a week left to vote, it hardly qualifies as a surprise that three Phillies players are in the running to start Philadelphia’s first All-Star Game in 30 years.

    The surprise: Bryce Harper isn’t among them.

    Harper finished third among first basemen in the first phase of fan voting, MLB announced Thursday. If the Face of the Phillies gets selected to his ninth All-Star Game on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park, it will be through player balloting as a National League reserve.

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    But the Phillies may still be well-represented in the NL’s starting lineup. Brandon Marsh moved on to the second stage of fan voting by collecting the second-most votes among outfielders, while Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm did the same by finishing second at second base and third base, respectively.

    Kyle Schwarber, who leads the majors with 29 homers, ran second among designated hitters. But Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani locked up a starting spot by getting the most votes of any NL player. Schwarber is a virtual lock to be chosen as a reserve.

    Voting resumes at noon Monday on MLB.com and on the MLB app and concludes at noon next Thursday. Votes from the first phase of voting don’t carry over. MLB will announce the All-Star rosters, including starters, on July 4 at 7:30 p.m.

    Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh is a candidate to start the All-Star Game for the National League.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Marsh ranked third in the NL in hitting — and second among all major league outfielders — with a .321 average through Wednesday. He had 14 doubles, 11 homers, and an .860 OPS that was third among Phillies players behind Schwarber and Harper.

    Six NL outfielders advanced to the final round of voting, with the Dodgers’ Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández, the Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II, and the Mets’ Juan Soto joining Marsh. Hernández and Acuña are on the injured list with hamstring strains.

    Bohm and Stott have recovered from awful starts to the season. Stott, in particular, was 19-for-58 (.328) with a .917 OPS in his last 16 games. He’s vying with Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, and Bohm is pitted against Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy.

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    Harper (.877 OPS, 17 homers entering Thursday night’s game) finished behind the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman (.859, 13 homers) and the Braves’ Matt Olson (.870, 20 homers). The NL carried three third basemen last season (Freeman, Olson, and Pete Alonso).

    All-Star reserves and pitchers are selected through the player balloting.

    Cristopher Sánchez, second in the NL with a 1.80 ERA entering his start Thursday night in Washington, and closer Jhoan Duran (1.69 ERA, 19-for-20 in save opportunities) are strong candidates. Zack Wheeler (2.11 ERA in 11 starts) is also a possibility, though he missed the first month of the season.

    Schwarber and Harper said they’ll decide on competing in the Home Run Derby after they know whether they’re selected as All-Stars.

    Also Wednesday, Don Mattingly was named to the NL coaching staff, as expected, by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit, strength and conditioning coach Morgan Gregory, and clubhouse manager Phil Sheridan will be part of the NL staff. Kevin Steinhour will be the AL clubhouse manager.