The Philadelphia Phillies have set their rotation for their road series against the New York Mets. Following their claim of right-hander Jose Urquidy, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that Urquidy will start Game 2 against the Mets. Andrew Painter will start Game 3 of the series on Saturday.
This is hardly a surprise, as they won’t move anyone in the rotation for this series. Painter won’t get moved up due to the off-day on Monday, plus it also gives the Phillies the most roster flexibility for their final series of the regular season.
That sets the rotation for the Mets series, although there will be six more games after that. Urquidy’s rotation spot will come up again during their next series against the Brewers.
In the final 10 games of the season, the Phillies will try to line up their rotation. Not only to secure a Wild Card spot, but also to set them up for the Wild Card Series.
FanGraphs Playoff Odds give Philadelphia a 98.0% chance of qualifying for the postseason. Their magic number to clinch a postseason spot is now 6.
Projecting Phillies Rotation in Final 10 Games of 2026
With Jose Urquidy starting on September 18 and Andrew Painter starting on September 19, the Phillies can map out the final 10 games. Here’s how they’ll break down by starting pitcher.
Aaron Nola will start the series opener against the Mets. His next start will come against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 23. He’s also lined up for a potential Game 1 start in the Wild Card Series, if necessary.
The real test will be what they do against the Rays. They could line up Cristopher Sanchez for Game 2 of a Wild Card series by starting him on September 25 on four days’ rest. That way, he’d be on similar rest entering Game 2 on September 30.
That would mean moving around Painter and Urquidy’s starts. It may make more sense to move Painter back to the 26th. That way they can get Urquidy’s two starts done and move on.
Since Urquidy is not postseason-eligible and will be a free agent after the season anyway, the Phillies could designate the former White Sox pitcher for assignment. They could use the extra roster spot for the bullpen in the final three games of the season.
The Phillies will also have a question for September 27. If they need to win that game, then they could start Zack Wheeler. Otherwise, they’ll scratch the veteran starter and line him up for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
Phillies Right Now
The Phillies enter this series against the Mets with an 84-68 record. They have a five-game lead in the loss column over the Diamondbacks. The three Wild Card spots are mostly accounted for; it’s just a matter of seeding at this point in the season.
With just one loss separating the top three teams in the National League Wild Card chase, every game matters to the end. The Phillies have a tiebreaker over the Padres, but not the Cubs.
The next 10 games will decide where they go on September 29. They’d likely prefer to host the Wild Card Series at Citizens Bank Park, but they’ll need some help to make that happen.
Phillies Make Andrew Painter Decision Amid Jose Urquidy News