Phillies fire Rob Thomson, name Don Mattingly interim manager

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Phillies have relieved manager Rob Thomson of his duties and named Don Mattingly interim manager after a tumultuous start to the 2026 season, the team announced on Tuesday.

What we know:

Thomson, 62, lead the team to four straight playoff appearances after taking over for Joe Girardi in 2022. He finishes his tenure as Phillies manager with a 355-269, the 10th most wins by a Phillies manager.

Don Mattingly, who last managed for the Miami Marlins in 2022, was named the interim manager through the 2026 season. Dusty Wathan, the team's third base coach since 2018, was elevated to bench coach, and Iron Pigs manager Anthony Contreras will be the third base coach.

The backstory:

The Phillies hope the coaching staff shake-up will ignite amid a disappointing 9-19 start, the worst record in Major League Baseball. 

Philadelphia's offense, with a returning cast of characters that lead the team to two straight NL East division titles and four consecutive playoff appearances, has the second worst batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. 

Pitching has been equally abysmal for the Phillies, with a staff ERA over 5.00. Although the team hopes staff ace Zack Wheeler, who returned from venous thoracic outlet syndrome last week, will help right the ship.

What they're saying:

USA Today baseball reporter Bob Nightengale said the Phillies offered the job to fired Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, and he declined.

Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski hired Cora during his time in Boston and the pair won a World Series in 2018.

What's next:

The Phillies will hold a press conference to discuss the managerial change at 2:45 p.m. You can watch the press conference in the live player above.