Don Mattingly is headed back to the All-Star Game bench. The Phillies’ interim manager will join Dave Roberts’ coaching staff for this year’s Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia, giving Mattingly his third All-Star Game coaching assignment.
The appointment lands at a useful moment for anyone searching Cardinals game today because Mattingly is now part of the same All-Star setup that includes Cardinals manager Oli Marmol. The two will be the only non-Dodger coaches on Roberts’ staff, and Roberts is following the customary practice of adding the host team’s manager for a game the Phillies are hosting.
For Mattingly, the invite adds another line to a coaching résumé that already includes the 2004 All-Star Game, when he worked as a hitting coach under Joe Torre, and the 2015 game, when he managed the Dodgers. Bruce Bochy invited him to the staff this time, and the nod comes while Mattingly is trying to steer Philadelphia through the middle of the season after taking over on April 28.
The Phillies’ turnaround under Mattingly is hard to ignore. Since he replaced Rob Thomson after a 9-19 start, Philadelphia is 25-11, has a 6.8 pitching fWAR since April 28 and ranks second in baseball in pitching fWAR over that stretch. FanGraphs once gave the club a 37.5% chance to reach the playoffs when Mattingly was hired; it later put the team at 71.6% over the last 36 games.
But the All-Star honor arrives with a catch. As of June 7, the Phillies still hold the second Wild Card spot, yet they trail the Cardinals in that race, a reminder that the club’s surge has not erased the pressure of the standings. Mattingly’s presence on the All-Star staff reflects how far Philadelphia has come in six weeks, but it does not change how crowded the postseason chase remains.
What happens next is straightforward: the All-Star Game will be played in Philadelphia, and Mattingly will be there in uniform on Roberts’ staff. Whether the Phillies send any current players to the roster remains unresolved, but the club’s interim manager has already secured his place in the event before the first lineup card is written.
