PHILADELPHIA, April 28, 2026, 18:09 (EDT)
- After getting off to a rough 9-19 start, Philadelphia let Rob Thomson go and put Don Mattingly in as interim manager, who’s set to run the club through the 2026 season.
- Mattingly takes the helm for the first time Tuesday night, facing the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park.
- This puts extra heat on a club with one of the league’s biggest payrolls, which started the day in a deadlock with the New York Mets for the majors’ worst record.
The Philadelphia Phillies dismissed manager Rob Thomson on Tuesday, handing the reins to bench coach Don Mattingly just hours ahead of a home set with the San Francisco Giants. The move comes as the team tries to halt a slide—11 losses in their last 12 games.
This was never meant to be a reset month for Philadelphia. The Phillies, carrying World Series hopes and a $284.7 million payroll behind stars Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trea Turner, wound up 9-19—dead even with the Mets at the major-league cellar.
Mattingly steps in for his debut at 6:40 p.m. EDT at Citizens Bank Park. On the mound: Jesús Luzardo for Philadelphia, squaring off with Giants righty Tyler Mahle. Fans can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia or tune in via 94 WIP and the iHeart App.
Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, said ex-Red Sox skipper Alex Cora got the offer but turned it down. “If he took it, I was going to make a change,” Dombrowski said. Cora, let go by Boston, chose to stay with his family instead. Reuters
Just seven days after Dombrowski left the door open by saying a managerial change wasn’t being considered “at this point,” the decision landed. Thomson exits with a .568 winning percentage—the highest for any Phillies manager in the modern era, according to MLB.com. But after a 9-19 start, that run is over. Mlb
At 62, Thomson stepped in for Joe Girardi back in 2022 and pushed Philadelphia all the way to the World Series that season. The Phillies have been in the playoffs every year under his watch—four straight—but after that first run, their postseason stays kept getting shorter. The front office handed Thomson an extension through 2027 just months before letting him go on Tuesday.
Don Mattingly, 65, previously managed the Los Angeles Dodgers between 2011 and 2015, then led the Miami Marlins from 2016 through 2022. His record: 889 wins, 950 losses. He picked up the National League Manager of the Year award in 2020. These days, he’s working under his son, Preston Mattingly, who serves as general manager—a pairing the AP notes is thought to be a first in major-league history: a father managing under his GM son.
Mattingly skipped the niceties. “We have to play better baseball,” he told reporters ahead of the Giants matchup. Dombrowski, for his part, called for “a new voice” in the Phillies clubhouse. Crossing Broad
The Giants have had their share of ups and downs this April, but they’re faring better lately. San Francisco sits at 13-15, riding a stretch where they’ve taken seven of their last 10 games. They’ve also secured three consecutive series wins—against Washington, the Dodgers, and Miami.
The Giants’ timing here stands out. According to McCovey Chronicles, Philadelphia rolled in at 6-4, but after getting blanked twice in San Francisco, the Phillies skidded to a 3-15 record.
Philadelphia still had the market’s confidence. The New York Post’s betting column called for more runs Tuesday, backing the Phillies at -168 on FanDuel. Luzardo, dealing with a 6.91 ERA, looked for some stability, while Mahle came in with a 5.26.
There’s a chance a fresh manager just rearranges the furniture without shifting the lineup. Philadelphia’s run differential—runs scored minus runs allowed—was sitting at minus-54, the lowest mark in the majors. After Sunday’s defeat, Schwarber didn’t sugarcoat it: “the record is not going to change overnight.” Reuters
Mattingly isn’t looking for symbolism in this first series; he’s focused on limiting the damage. With five months still ahead for the Phillies, the standings have already shifted: the Mets are right there with them at the bottom, and the Giants, unlike three weeks ago when Philadelphia last saw them, aren’t struggling anymore.
