MILWAUKEE – If instructions were handed down about player behavior earlier this year by the Phillies when it comes to shenanigans, Garrett Stubbs is oblivious to them. At least that’s what he claims.
“Are there any rules here,” he questioned in the Phillies clubhouse before the team played the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. “I wasn’t aware of rules. No, I have been told any new rules or if there were any previously or now. Hopefully not.
Stubbs, along with left-handed reliever Tim Mayza, were placed on the 28-man expanded roster Monday and his arrival made an immediate impact in the clubhouse with hugs and smiles all around.
The 32-year-old catcher has spent this season with triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he hit .265 and collected 12 doubles, eight home runs and 50 RBI in 71 games. He spent the past three seasons with the Phillies as a backup to J.T. Realmuto. His arrival now will allow for manager Rob Thomson to have some flexibility when Realmuto doesn’t catch, such as using him as a designated hitter or a pinch-hitter in those games.
“Love these guys so it’s just awesome to see their faces again. It’s already been great, on the bus ride over, going and grabbing food just in the first 30 minutes of being here. It’s just fun to be back around the group of guys that have been here since ‘22-’23. Excited to get that going again, just have some fun and win some baseball games.
“It was really nice to get some consistent playing time down there, get a feel for my swing offensively again. It was cool to have some success down there, too, and just working with a young pitching staff of guys that have made some appearances here and getting to know them.”
Particularly, Stubbs got to see, first hand, top prospect Andrew Painter and his progression this season from Tommy John surgery.
“He’s coming off of Tommy John. Success is him having a full season and being able to get the innings in and post every single week,” said Stubbs. “To me, that’s a successful season. I know people want to see him up here, probably months ago. He’s been our number one prospect for a long time. People want to see him here. For me, just seeing him healthy every single week and getting to pitch is a success for him. It’s been good to see him do that, progress throughout the season.
He’s got really good velo, throws the ball hard. Him getting a feel for all of his pitches back will take some time coming off of Tommy John. Just getting to know him as a person, too, and getting to see how mature he is and that he’s ready for the big league level mentally. The physical stuff will come in time as he progresses through his Tommy John rehab still.”
Mayza, an Upper Perkiomen grad and Millersville University product, has just finished up rehabbing a lat strain. He could become an important left-hander out of the bullpen moving forward for Thomson.
“Exciting as somebody who grew up a Phillies fan and to finally be able to put the uniform on and be in the organization, I’m excited,” Mayza said. “It’s kind of super fun to be close to home. I’m definitely excited to be here.
Mayza has 374 career relief appearances and has posted a 3.85 ERA to go with a 20-9 record.
“I feel great,” Mayza said. “I had four outings, one of them was multiple innings, which I felt like that was the biggest thing I was looking forward to was how I was bouncing back from that. Everything’s been going great. The recovery’s been great. The stuff is where I’d like it to be.”
Lineup shuffling
Thomson had Edmundo Sosa at third base instead of Alec Bohm on Monday, and also penciled in an outfield of Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader and Max Kepler.
“Just a day off,” he said of Bohm. “Get Sosa back in there.” As for Castellanos, the manager said, “Just a day off.”
It is the first time the Phillies have faced hard-throwing rookie right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, who was named to the National League All-Star game back in July.
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