Sports

Phillies Move On From Manager Rob Thomson

The Philadelphia Phillies entered the 2026 MLB season with back-to-back National League East titles.

After one month, the Phillies have a 9-19 record and are in the middle of a streak where they have lost 11 of the last 12 games, which included a 10-game losing streak before finally snapping it against the Atlanta Braves on Saturday.

On Tuesday, the Phillies made the decision to relieve manager Tob Thomson of his duties and named Don Mattingly as the interim manager.

The Phillies also promoted third base coach Dusty Wathan to bench coach and promoted Triple-A Lehigh Valley manager Anthony Contreras to third base coach, while Chris Adamson will be the manager for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Thomson was in his fifth season as the manager for the Phillies, and he finished with a 355-270 record with playoff trips in four seasons and a National League pennant in 2022.

Thomson took over as the Phillies manager during the 2022 season after Joe Girardi was fired, and he led them to the World Series.

Thomson had been an assistant with the Phillies since 2018, and he spent nearly a decade with the New York Yankees prior to that.

Rom Thomson Joins Alex Cora With Early Season Firings

 Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) in the dugout
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) in the dugout Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Thomson now becomes the second veteran manager fired in the early part of the 2026 season.

On Saturday, the Boston Red Sox fired Alex Cora after a rough start to the season, and Boston has suddenly won three games in a row and has shown some life.

Thomson recently said he wasn't worried about the future, and said it is "natural" to be in those conversations.

"Well, I mean, that's natural, right? It's normal," Thomson said. "I don't have time to think about it. I'm a person that thinks about other people and what can I do to help them. And it's out of my control. So that's where I'm at."

Mattingly now takes over, and he spent five seasons as the Los Angeles Dodgers manager and then seven with the Miami Marlins before moving to an assistant role.

Mattingly is in his first season with the Phillies after spending the previous three with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Related: Phillies Manager Drops Blunt Take on Job Security Amid Slump

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This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 11:41 AM.

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