The MLB playoffs are here, and for the Philadelphia Phillies, they’ll be facing a familiar foe beginning Tuesday afternoon.
Traveling to Truist Park in Atlanta, the Phillies are set to begin a best-of-three series with the Braves that will run from Tuesday through Thursday if a Game 3 is necessary.
Ahead of Game 1, the Phillies have officially announced their full 26-man roster, which leaves off some interesting names.
Phillies Wild Card Series Roster
As expected, infielder Luis Arraez is out due to injury, and Mattingly ultimately left off relievers Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian. This means all three players the Phillies acquired at the trade deadline are not on the Wild Card roster.
Outside of those three, the roster is pretty much as you’d expect.
Here’s a breakdown:
Pitchers (12): Left-handers – José Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Jesús Luzardo, Tim Mayza and Cristopher Sanchez. Right-handers – Jonathan Bowlan, Jhoan Duran, Alex McFarlane, Aaron Nola, Andrew Painter, Chase Shugart and Zack Wheeler.
Catchers (3): Rafael Marchan, J.T. Realmuto and Garrett Stubbs.
Infielders (5): Alec Bohm, Otto Kemp, Edmundo Sosa, Bryson Stott and Trea Turner.
Outfielders (5): Justin Crawford, Bryan De La Cruz, Bryce Harper, Derek Hill and Brandon Marsh.
Designated Hitter (1): Kyle Schwarber.
Our guys in ATL pic.twitter.com/rLxmhyZ7S2
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 29, 2026
Looking at the Phillies
Philadelphia enters Game 1 with lefty Jesús Luzardo on the mound in what will likely be a short-lived start considering he just came off the IL and hasn’t started a game since Sept. 7.
However, the biggest question for the Phillies is whether their starting rotation will be able to hold up after they were forced to rely heavily on their best pitchers down the stretch. They didn’t clinch a playoff spot until the final day of the regular season.
This is part of the reason Luzardo is taking the mound in Game 1 against Braves left-handed ace Chris Sale.
The Phillies pitched Zack Wheeler on Sunday, so his status is unknown, while Cristopher Sánchez last pitched on Friday. That means Sánchez could be ready to go in Game 2 on Wednesday, while Thursday’s potential Game 3 would likely come down to Aaron Nola or Wheeler on short rest.
Philadelphia went 4-9 in head-to-head meetings against the Braves this season.
Philadelphia Phillies Announce Final Roster for Wild Card Series Against Braves