5 Phillies thoughts: Is it time to move Kyle Schwarber back to the leadoff spot?
A collection of notes and takeaways before the Phillies begin a six-game road trip on Tuesday.
With the Phillies taking a much-needed day off before beginning a six-game road trip which starts in Toronto, this feels like a good time to take a step back and evaluate some ongoing issues with a team that was on a roll before dropping four games in a row.
In another 5 Phillies thoughts, this is what is on my mind in the wake of a home sweep at the hands of old friend Rhys Hoskins and the Milwaukee Brewers…
Should the Phillies put Kyle Schwarber atop the lineup again?
Schwarber’s move from leading off to cleaning up for the Phillies has gone swimmingly for Schwarber, who is enjoying a dominant season. In 59 games, Schwarber is slashing .266/.398/.584 with 19 home runs; much of that damage has been done since he was moved behind Bryce Harper in the order.
But has the change actually gone that well for the Phillies as a whole? The primary rationale behind moving Schwarber back in the order and leading off Bryson Stott, manager Rob Thomson said at the time, was to have Schwarber protect Bryce Harper. But even before he went down with an elbow injury — by the way, Thomson seems to expect Harper back in the lineup on Tuesday — Harper was posting underwhelming numbers by his lofty standards. Harper has been good in 2025 but he has yet to explode in the way Phillies fans are accustomed to seeing him do.
Nobody should blame Schwarber for that, of course, and nobody should lose confidence in Harper’s ability to lead this offense later in the season. But Harper has gone on massive tears before — not just without Schwarber protecting him, but with extremely questionable clean-up hitters like Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos behind him. He can get going at any time under any circumstances.
The real issue is that the entire theory is based on the notion that Stott is a viable leadoff hitter. And while Stott’s patience and ability as a baserunner give him parts of the makeup of someone at the very top of a lineup, he has just not been a good enough hitter in his career to warrant this long of a leash. Stott, who ran a .561 OPS in May, has seen his season-long slash line go down to .254/.320/.363. It is both extremely underwhelming for a top-of-the-order bat and just about in line with Stott’s major-league performance over the course of a sample of nearly 500 games.
It is not that Stott cannot be a helpful piece for the Phillies. He has been for years. His excellent glove work at second base, base-stealing ability and tendency to work long at-bats in timely moments are all valuable. But he simply does not reach base enough to be a leadoff hitter right now.
Another roster move is coming
The Phillies shook up their bullpen on Sunday morning, designating struggling right-hander José Ruiz for assignment and recalling Seth Johnson from Triple-A to take his place. Ruiz was a diamond in the rough for the Phillies last year, but never found his footing in 2025, with a five-run blowup on Saturday being the nail in the coffin for his roster spot. Thomson cited Ruiz’s struggles when asked about the move, also indicating that Johnson’s noticeable uptick in velocity since being moved from starting to a relief role and ability to provide some length made him the superior option.
However, another move will come on Thursday. Mick Abel is rejoining the Phillies and will be part of the team’s starting rotation, seemingly until Aaron Nola returns from the injured list — Abel appears primed for more than one start this time around — and Taijuan Walker is moving to the bullpen in a role he has never played before.
The Phillies will have to remove another pitcher from their 26-man roster in order to recall Abel, and there appear to be three options:
• Johnson, who did not pitch on Sunday despite being available after Ranger Suárez pitched into the seventh inning. Johnson can be optioned back to Triple-A.
• Max Lazar, who has a 3.38 ERA in three appearances (5.1 innings pitched) with the Phillies this year, including the first save of his major-league career in West Sacramento last month. Lazar can also be optioned back to Triple-A.
• Carlos Hernández, who has failed to throw strikes all year. Hernández has a 6.14 ERA and 1.91 WHIP in mostly low-leverage spots with the Phillies despite obvious arm talent. The team gave him an additional vote of confidence on Sunday, when Thomson argued that Hernández is finally beginning to throw more strikes, and if he continues to do so, he will be an effective option out of the bullpen. Perhaps the most significant factor working in his favor here: Hernández cannot be optioned back to Triple-A; the Phillies would have to see him clear waivers to keep the right-hander in the organization.
In other words, Johnson or Lazar is likely headed back to Lehigh Valley in short order.
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