Manager Don Mattingly restructured the Philadelphia Phillies batting order on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. He placed Trea Turner in the leadoff role and moved Kyle Schwarber to the second spot for Game 1 of the National League Wild Card series against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. This tactical adjustment prepares the team to face Atlanta left-handed starter Chris Sale in the opening game of the best-of-three postseason matchup.
Schwarber spent most of the 2026 regular season as Philadelphia’s usual leadoff hitter before moving to the second spot in the final two regular-season games. During the regular season, Schwarber led Major League Baseball with 45 home runs, adding 97 RBIs and a .232 batting average across 156 games. He reached 232 home runs over his first five seasons with Philadelphia, trailing only Babe Ruth for the most home runs hit by a player in his first five seasons with a single franchise.
Strategic Lineup Changes Against Chris Sale
Faced with left-hander Chris Sale-who finished the regular season with a stellar 2.16 ERA and captured the 2024 NL Cy Young award-Mattingly designed a lineup to neutralize elite left-handed pitching. The updated Game 1 batting order positions Trea Turner at shortstop hitting first. He is followed by Schwarber at designated hitter, Bryce Harper in right field, and Alec Bohm at first base.
To further counter Sale, right-handed hitter Derek Hill starts in center field and bats fifth. Bryan De La Cruz starts in left field in the sixth spot. Infielder Bryson Stott shifts down to seventh, Edmundo Sosa plays third base hitting eighth, and catcher J.T. Realmuto rounds out the bottom of the order in the ninth spot. Realmuto aims to build momentum after breaking a 0-for-32 slump on Sunday.
Game 1 Pitching Plan: Jesús Luzardo and Andrew Painter
On the mound, left-hander Jesús Luzardo will serve as an opener for the Phillies. Luzardo missed the final two weeks of the regular season due to shoulder inflammation before returning to throw a brief, one-inning, four-pitch outing in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. Because he is not fully built up for a traditional starter’s workload, rookie right-hander Andrew Painter is prepared to follow out of the bullpen to cover meaningful middle innings.
This bullpen strategy became necessary after the Phillies used their primary starting arms during a frantic final weekend push to secure a postseason berth, culminating in a 7-3 victory on Sunday. Ace Zack Wheeler threw six innings in the season finale. This leaves rotation duties for Game 2 to Cristopher Sánchez, with Aaron Nola positioned for a potential Game 3 appearance.
Playoff Roster Notes and Absenteeism
The Phillies finalized their 26-man roster ahead of Tuesday’s opener, notably omitting infielder Luis Arraez. The NL batting-title runner-up sprained his left ankle on September 24 against the Milwaukee Brewers and was left off the Wild Card roster, with Otto Kemp taking his place. Trade deadline acquisitions Brooks Raley, Luis Arraez, and Caleb Kilian were all left off the final Wild Card active roster, while the team opted to carry three catchers in Realmuto, Garrett Stubbs, and Rafael Marchán.
First pitch for Game 1 at Truist Park is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET as the third-seeded Phillies and second-seeded Braves renew their October rivalry.
