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Phillies Will Call-Up Garrett Stubbs As Part of Expanded Roster

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Sep 1, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Garrett Stubbs is back with the Philadelphia Phillies.

While the roster move has not yet been made official at the time of writing, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Stubbs will join the Phillies' active roster as part of the MLB rosters expanding from 26 men to 28 on Sept. 1. Recently claimed pitcher Tim Mayza will be the other player who will get promoted.

As for Stubbs, it's an interesting decision on the surface because that now gives Philadelphia three catchers on their active roster, with Rafael Marchan serving as the primary back up all season long while Stubbs was with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

What his role is going to be during the stretch run of the 2025 campaign and in the playoffs isn't clear at this time, but he's a great clubhouse guy and is someone who likely has been missed throughout the year.

Below is a deeper dive into both Stubbs and Mayza.

Garrett Stubbs

Because Stubbs has been in the minors all year, he has largely been out of sight, out of mind when it comes to the fanbase. And while he might be a beloved character, he also elicited some frustration when he was on the field because of the decline in his production.

During the 2022 season, he was an effective backup, slashing .264/.350/.462 with five home runs and 16 RBI across 46 games, putting up an OPS+ that was 29 points above the league average of 100. But the following two years were not good for Stubbs, with him only hitting two homers and driving in 23 runs combined across 95 total games, owning an OPS+ figure of 53 in 2023 and 57 in 2024.

The hope was that Stubbs could find his swing again in the minors. And across 71 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he has slashed .265/.352/.402 with eight home runs and 50 RBI, striking out 62 times while drawing 31 walks.

If that can translate to The Show for the final month of the season and during potential pinch-hitting spots in the playoffs, then the loveable backup catcher could play a helpful role in the Phillies winning the World Series this year.

Tim Mayza

The left-hander has had an interesting career. He struggled during his rookie year in 2017, but he bounced back and had a good showing in 2018. But then he posted a 4.91 ERA across 68 appearances in 2019 before undergoing Tommy John surgery that kept him on the shelf for the entire 2020 campaign.

Following that procedure, Mayza had the best stretch of his career, posting a 2.79 ERA across 193 outings and 155 innings pitched, including the 2023 season where his ERA was 1.52 in 69 appearances.

But once again, he hit a low point. He posted an 8.03 ERA across 35 outings in 2024. That caused the Toronto Blue Jays to designate him for assignment and later release him despite the incredible stretch he had with them for three years prior.

It appeared like Mayza was on his way to having another good season this year when he had a 2.89 ERA across his first seven appearances. However, he suffered a lat strain and teres major injury that put him on the 60-day injured list and eventually led to him getting placed on waivers.

The Phillies are hoping his good form continues, giving them another left-handed option out of their bullpen since Jose Alvarado is not eligible to pitch in the playoffs.