Thursday, October 1, 2026
73 ° Clear
73 ° Clear
The Philadelphia Phillies had to make some roster moves to the 40-man roster in order to add a pitcher and protect the maligned bullpen ahead of Saturday night’s contest against the New York Yankees.
Additionally, Philly completed a trade to acquire a new outfielder from the Kansas City Royals. Finally, the club announced Tim Mayza as the opener for the middle game of a three-game set tonight.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of tonight’s 6:05 pm matchup against the Bronx Bombers.
A slew of moves in the bullpen opened up a spot after Alex McFarlane and Max Lazar were optioned back to Triple-A. Finally, Tanner Banks was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
With the new space, the Phillies added right-handed starter Brian Keller and left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus to the roster.
Keller is expected to make his pro debut this afternoon, the culmination of a 13-year journey to reach the major leagues. The 32-year-old starter posted a 2.33 earned run average (ERA) in nine appearances for Lehigh Valley in 2026.
As for Backhus, the 28-year-old owns a 5.87 earned run average (ERA) in 17 MLB appearances this season. He provides some additional insurance as another lefty option in the bullpen after heavy usage of Jose Alvarado recently could keep him unavailable for tonight’s matchup.
The Phillies also made a trade transaction on Saturday afternoon after completing a deal with the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Kameron Misner. The 28-year-old played sparingly with the Royals this season and arrives in Philly with a .220 batting average in 18 games in 2026.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly is familiar with the newest Phillies outfielder from his time managing the Miami Marlins between 2016 and 2022.
“I saw him in Kansas City, and I actually saw him in Miami,” the interim bench boss told the assembled media on Saturday. “He was one of the first-round picks… we had a couple that year. He came in with (J.J.) Bleday. He’s a big physical kid, can run, play the outfield (and) has power. Obviously, he’s had a lot more success in Triple A than he has in the big leagues.”
The Phillies send pitcher Tim Mayza to the mound for his fourth start in 2026.
The left-hander struggled in his last few appearances in Philly, allowing 3.1 innings and seven runs to opponents before he was shipped off to Lehigh Valley earlier this season.
This move allows Don Mattingly to have someone start the contest against New York before potentially turning to Keller for his MLB debut in the middle innings.
Hopefully, the new righty is able to secure the middle frames to turn things over to Orion Kerkering and/or Jhoan Duran to close out a weekend win on a gorgeous sunny afternoon in South Philadelphia.
