The Philadelphia Phillies announced they have decided to fire manager Rob Thomson and Don Mattingly will take over on an interim basis. After a 9-19 start to the regular season Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and team leadership decided to make a change. Additionally Dusty Wathan has been promoted to bench coach with Anthony Contreras becoming the third base coach. Mattingly is the obvious replacement choice for Thomson. In the press release the Phillies state Mattingly will serve as interim manager for the remainder of the season. This comes amidst speculation of Álex Cora being linked to a potential opening.
The Phillies have relieved Rob Thomson of his duties as manager. pic.twitter.com/Jp523BrbV5
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 28, 2026
Mattingly has an 889-950 record as a major league manager with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marlins. During the offseason Mattingly joined the Phillies as their bench coach and has now become interim manager. As a big league manager Mattingly has four postseason appearances. Mattingly having experience may have given him the edge when the Phillies decided on the interim replacement for Thomson. Wathan and Contreras could have been in the mix but neither has major league managing experience. The decision to make Wathan the bench coach is not entirely surprising because of this consideration. This means Mike Calitri does not get his old role back. Contreras has become the second Triple-A manager in four days to be promoted to a big league coaching staff.
Phillies Fire Manager Thomson
Necessary Change
The Phillies should have made this move during the offseason. A full search would have been able to be conducted if Thomson was let go then. Thomson instead received a contract extension through the 2027 season. Thomson ends up managing a mere 28 games after that extension. Additionally Thomson is now the second manager to be fired this season. The Boston Red Sox firing Cora is the other instance. While the roster construction is the main reasons for the Phillies issues, Thomson had to be the one to take the fall. The team needed a reset in the dugout with a fresh voice at manager. It can be appreciated what Thomson has done for the Phillies while also acknowledging it was time to move on. Mattingly brings a new perspective to the role.
What Happens Now
In 2022 the Phillies went to the World Series after Thomson took over for Joe Girardi was fired in the middle of that season. Maybe the team will find the same magic in 2026 with Mattingly taking over for Thomson. However, this is a Phillies core that is four years older now. The situations surrounding Girardi and Thomson getting fired are different. Girardi was much more at fault for the struggles in 2o22 than Thomson has been in 2026. In an interesting twist the last game Girardi managed for the Phillies was at home against the San Francisco Giants. The first game Mattingly will manage for the Phillies, at home against the Giants. Both Girardi an Thomson were also dismissed the morning following an off day. 2026 will likely not be a 2022 repeat though.
Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
