Phillies Announce Wild Card Round Roster Against Braves

Sep 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) celebrates with right fielder Bryan de la Cruz (41) after hitting a grand slam home run against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Phillies Announce Wild Card Round Roster Against Braves

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 29, 2026 10:47 AM ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies' pursuit of a World Series title begins in the National League Wild Card Series against a familiar foe: the Atlanta Braves.

As the No. 3 Wild Card team in the NL and No. 6 seed overall, the Phillies are heading on the road to face the Braves at Truist Stadium for a three-game series. The winner will advance to the NLDS, where they will match up with the No. 2 seed Los Angeles Dodgers in a five-game series.

Moving on to the next round will not be easy for Philadelphia. They didn’t play great against Atlanta in the regular season, going 4-9 and having a -23 run differential. But in a short series with all hands on deck, anything can happen.

Now, we know the players that interim manager Don Mattingly will have at his disposal for the NLWC against the Braves, as the Phillies have announced their roster for this round of the playoffs.

Who made Phillies roster for Wild Card Round against Braves?

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was previously announced that Luis Arraez, who suffered a left ankle injury on Sept. 24 against the Milwaukee Brewers, would not be on the roster; Otto Kemp took his spot. Also revealed is that Jesus Luzardo would be starting Game 1 of the series with Andrew Painter behind him.

Beyond that, there aren’t many surprises or changes to the roster. It looks very similar to what the team was rolling with down the stretch of the regular season, which some fans will point out as a negative given the team’s level of performance.

Philadelphia has opted to carry three catchers again, with J.T. Realmuto being joined by Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs. Kyle Schwarber is the designated hitter.

In an interesting development, which could be telling when it comes to Mattingly’s plans for the lineup, Edmundo Sosa is listed as an infielder. The veteran utilityman has played third base, shortstop, second base and left field, with the latter being the position he has logged the most innings.

Sosa could be counted on to play third base every day, especially if Bryce Harper is remaining in right field. Listed among the outfielders on the roster announcement, it is fair to assume that is a plan the Phillies plan to stick with.

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Rounding out the infield are Alec Bohm, Kemp, Bryson Stott and Trea Turner. Along with Harper in the outfield are Justin Crawford, Bryan De La Cruz, Derek Hill and Brandon Marsh.

On the mound, Philadelphia did add Zack Wheeler, who is a potential option to pitch at some point in Game 3. Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez, the probable Game 2 starter, are also listed, meaning their entire starting rotation is an option to pitch.

Jose Alvarado, Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bowlan, Jhoan Duran, Tim Mayza, Alex McFarlane and Chase Shugart are the other pitchers on the roster. How many of them actually get into a game is anyone’s guess, as confidence is low in a majority of those pitchers.

In an ideal world, Mattingly will get at least seven innings from his starting pitchers, in whatever order they are used, and have to count only on McFarlane and Duran to get the team home in a close game.

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This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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