The Philadelphia Phillies are set to begin their Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday afternoon.
It’s a best-of-three series, with games scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and, if necessary, Thursday, with a trip to the ALDS at stake.
For Game 1, Philadelphia is sending left-hander Jesús Luzardo to the mound, while the Braves will counter with lefty ace Chris Sale. That matchup led Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly to make a few interesting lineup decisions.
Phillies Announce Sudden Brandon Marsh Decision
With a lefty on the mound, Mattingly isn’t shying away from his platoon approach despite the productive year All-Star outfielder Brandon Marsh has had.
During the second half of the season, Mattingly has mainly decided to keep Marsh out of the lineup against lefties due to a drop in his numbers. Even in the playoffs, he’s going to stick with that approach.
Philadelphia will start Bryan De La Cruz in left field in Marsh’s usual spot, while Derek Hill will play center field and Bryce Harper will start in right.
Here’s the Phillies full lineup:
Via Underdog MLB: “Phillies 9/29 T. Turner SS K. Schwarber DH B. Harper RF A. Bohm 1B D. Hill CF B. De La Cruz LF B. Stott 2B E. Sosa 3B J. Realmuto C J. Luzardo SP.”
Phillies 9/29
T. Turner SS
K. Schwarber DH
B. Harper RF
A. Bohm 1B
D. Hill CF
B. De La Cruz LF
B. Stott 2B
E. Sosa 3B
J. Realmuto CJ. Luzardo SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 29, 2026
Looking at Marsh’s 2026 Regular Season
In his sixth MLB season, Marsh put together by far the best season of his career at the plate.
He was named an All-Star starter and appeared in 155 games, batting .260 across 524 at-bats with 71 runs, 136 hits, 18 home runs, and 62 RBIs while slugging .408 with a .713 OPS.
Marsh will likely emerge as a pinch hitter on Tuesday if and when Sale exits the game and the Braves bring a righty out of the bullpen.
Philadelphia Phillies Announce Sudden Brandon Marsh Decision Before Braves Series