Phillies fire Rob Thomson after 9-19 start as Don Mattingly named interim manager

After a disappointing 9-19 start to the season, the Phillies have fired manager Rob Thomson, a source confirms to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Don Mattingly, who has briefly served as the Phillies’ bench coach through the first 28 games of 2026, has been named the interim manager for the team.

Thomson, 62, has managed the club since June 3, 2022, replacing Joe Girardi. After being named the full-time manager, he led the Phillies to their first World Series appearance since 2009, four consecutive postseason appearances and back-to-back NL East titles.

Thomson finishes his tenure as manager 355-270.

Mattingly, 65, followed a stellar plying career with the New York Yankees by managing the Los Angeles Dodgers for five seasons and the Miami Marlins for seven seasons. He is the father of Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly.

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowksi made the decision to move on from Thomson after several days of deliberation. This is the second time Dombrowski has fired a manager in his time in Philadelphia. He is hoping this move sparks the team as it did in June 2022, when Thomson took over for Girardi.

The 2026 Phillies were picked by many as the team to best in the NL East, but over the course of the first 28 games, the team has grossly underperformed in the batter’s box, on the pitcher’s mound and on defense. That led to the worst record in baseball entering Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants, and in such situations, the manager often takes the fall.