The Phillies expect to use their extra roster spot on a third catcher when MLB rosters expand from 26 players to 28 on Tuesday, a move that keeps Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán in the picture at the same time. Don Mattingly said the club is comfortable carrying three catchers when Marchán returns, preserving a setup the Phillies have already used for much of the season.
Stubbs is the piece that makes the arrangement work. He returned from left wrist inflammation on July 21 and has since shown the kind of flexibility that gives a bench real shape, appearing in left field, first base and third base this year. He also has enough speed to be used as a pinch runner, and Mattingly said that gives the Phillies “a different dimension” while leaving the rest of the position-player group essentially set.
That matters because the roster math is not just about finding a seat for one more catcher. The Phillies carried J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchán and Stubbs for several months earlier this season, and they are now leaning toward keeping that structure again when Marchán comes back from his rehab assignment with triple-A Lehigh Valley. Marchán has hit.206/.300/.206 in 10 rehab games for the IronPigs, but the more important number may be simpler: both he and Stubbs are out of options, so keeping them on the roster reduces the chance of losing one for nothing on waivers.
There is still one timing question that matters. Marchán is working his way back after left knee patellar tendinitis, but the Phillies have not said whether he will be activated before Tuesday’s expansion or immediately after it. What is clear is the direction of travel: with the active roster set to grow and the club already leaning into a three-catcher look, the next move is likely to be a roster shuffle that protects depth rather than one that trims it.
Elsewhere, Tanner Banks made his second rehab appearance for Lehigh Valley on Saturday and threw 1⅔ scoreless innings after a scoreless inning on Wednesday. He has not allowed a hit in his rehab outings and is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list starting on Sept. 7. The Phillies also signed Nestor Cortes on Aug. 19 and then optioned him to Clearwater and placed him on the seven-day injured list, while Caleb Kilian is close to throwing and Jean Cabrera was released on Friday after a season in which he posted a 7.64 ERA.
For now, the cleanest read is that the Phillies are using Tuesday’s expansion to protect versatility, not force a choice they do not want to make. Stubbs’ ability to cover multiple spots, Marchán’s return from injury and the lack of options on both players point to the same outcome: three catchers on the roster, and a little less risk on the waiver wire.
