Phillies Fire Manager Rob Thomson, Promote Bench Coach Don Mattingly To Interim Manager

The Phillies have pulled the trigger after starting the season 9-19.

The Philadelphia Phillies have announced that they have relieved manager Rob Thomson of his duties after five seasons with the team. Bench coach and former big league manager Don Mattingly has been named the team’s interim manager for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Dusty Wathan promoted to bench coach. Anthony Contreras, Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager, will be the new third-base coach.

It’s unfortunate, but not shocking, move for the Phillies who have gotten off to a horrendous start to the 2026 season, opening the year with a 9-19 record, tied for worst in baseball with the New York Mets. They’ve lost the last six series they’ve played, went on a 10-game losing streak, and have currently lost 11 of their last 12 games played.

All parts of the team have been bad with the offense ranking bottom third as a team in runs scored, hits, and average, while the pitching staff has allowed the most hits to opponents, the third most runs, and hasn’t had a single starter make it past seven innings of work last season. Last year, the Phillies led all of baseball in the category.

Thomson is the only Phillies coach who has been fired, with Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long remaining in the same role. As for other changes for the Phillies, third base coach Dusty Wathan has been promoted to bench coach, Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s manager Anthony Contreras has been promoted to third base coach, and Lehigh Valley’s bench coach Chris Adamson will now manage the Iron Pigs.

Thomson ends his time with the Phillies with a 354-266 record, good enough for a .571 winning percentage, the highest winning percentage for a Phillies manager since 1900. and a 21-17 playoff record. He led the Phillies to the playoffs every year since taking over for former Phillies manager Joe Girardi, who was fired similarly fired back in 2022 during the middle of a home series against the San Francisco Giants.

The Phillies won two National League East division titles during Thomson’s tenure, won a pennant during the 2022 season, and were one game away in 2023 from doing it again. The past two years saw a downgrade in playoff success as the Phillies were defeated in the NLDS in four games in back-to-back seasons.

With 134 games during the regular season, it’s go time for the Phillies to try and salvage this season and make the playoffs. The team currently sits 10.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves for the top spot in the East and 6.5 back of a wild card spot.