Phillies' second-half storylines to follow

This brought his 2025 season totals to a .268/.379/.482 batting line, 12 homers and 39 RBI. If the eight-time All-Star can keep it up, it would be massive for the Phillies' offense and their run for a second consecutive division title.

Will Jesus Luzardo bounce back?

Luzardo looked like an early Cy Young favorite, with a 2.15 ERA through his first 11 starts. A nightmare outing on May 31 against the Milwaukee Brewers, in which he allowed 12 earned runs, spelled an end to his case. Luzardo's last start before the All-Star break against the San Francisco Giants was encouraging, where he threw seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts. 

However, he didn't get off to a strong second half, allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts on Friday. Luzardo finding consistency for the remainder of the season will be key, especially as the Phillies hope to make a deeper postseason run than in 2024.

When will Aaron Nola be reinstated?

Nola landing on the injured list at all is rare, but having an extended stay there is nearly unheard of for the Phillies' rotation stalwart. Before his IL stint began on May 15 with a right ankle sprain, Nola’s ongoing struggles with the longball persisted. 

He has a 6.16 ERA with 11 homers allowed in 49.2 innings this season, going 1-7 in nine starts. He’s scheduled to face live hitters on Saturday, followed by a bullpen session on Tuesday if everything goes well. If Nola passes both of those tests, a rehab assignment could be imminent, and a mid-August return is plausible. Given his struggles, though, what role he’ll fulfill when he comes back is to be determined.

Will Andrew Painter debut?

Phillies' No. 1 and MLB's No. 8 prospect was initially expected to make a "mid-July-ish" debut, but Painter hasn't developed at the pace Philadelphia was hoping for. The 22-year-old has a 5.01 ERA with 59 strikeouts, 20 walks and 11 home runs over 55.2 innings in Triple-A this season. 

After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League in 2024, in which he threw 15.2 innings with a 2.30 ERA and 18 strikeouts, his struggles have been a bit unprecedented. That said, it's Painter's first full season since his 2023 Tommy John surgery, and he's still just 22 years old. He has plenty of time to get it right, but making his MLB debut this season seems unlikely, unless a good August or an injury to the MLB squad sets up for a potential September call-up.