Phillies Make Kyle Schwarber Decision After 69 Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jun 16, 2026 4:48 PM ET

Kyle Schwarber has been one of the most dominant hitters in baseball throughout the 2026 season, and the Philadelphia Phillies have depended heavily on his production throughout the season.

Through 69 games, Schwarber is batting .247 with a .363 on-base percentage and a .563 slugging mark. He leads MLB with 24 home runs and 42 RBIs in 311 plate appearances, and his .926 OPS is his highest since joining Philadelphia. The Phillies sit at 39-33, second in the National League East and 7.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves.

Philadelphia opened its homestand in strong fashion Monday with a 7-0 win over the Miami Marlins, powered by a dominant outing from Zack Wheeler, who struck out nine over six scoreless innings, and a milestone moment for rookie Gabriel Rincones Jr., who hit his first career home run. Schwarber contributed in typical fashion, reaching base twice with a single and a walk that helped spark an eighth-inning rally as the Phillies controlled the game from start to finish.

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Schwarber is again expected to contribute on Tuesday. However, manager Don Mattingly will be deploying him in a different position.

The Phillies have listed Schwarber as the starting first baseman for the second game of the series against Miami, making this only the 10th appearance of his career at the position. It is also his first time playing first base since 2021, when he made nine appearances there during his stint with the Boston Red Sox.

Kyle Schwarber will make his first start at 1B since the 2021 Postseason! pic.twitter.com/J50U3F2Bm0
— MLB (@MLB) June 16, 2026

Even with the positional change, the expectation remains that Schwarber will continue driving the offense.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park, with Miami sending Tyler Phillips (1-1, 1.86 ERA) to the mound against Philadelphia left-hander Jesus Luzardo (5-4, 4.35 ERA).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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