Don Mattingly Expresses Concern After Phillies Demotion

Sports admin September 20, 2026 0 Comments

Don Mattingly Expresses Concern After Phillies Demotion

Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly expressed significant concern about Orion Kerkering after the reliever was optioned to Triple-A following Saturday’s loss to the New York Mets.

The Phillies announced the demotion after their 10-3 loss at Citi Field. Kerkering entered the eighth inning with Philadelphia trailing 6-3 but struggled to keep the Mets from adding to their lead.

The right-hander allowed four runs on four hits and two walks before completing the inning.

Don Mattingly when asked if he’s worried about Kerkering: “I’d say a pretty high degree of worry.”

— Destiny Lugardo (@destiny_lugardo) September 20, 2026

When asked about his level of concern regarding Kerkering’s struggles, Mattingly did not hide his feelings.

“I’d say a pretty high degree of worry,” Mattingly said.

The move comes after a difficult stretch for Kerkering, who has struggled throughout September. He has allowed nine runs across 4.1 innings in four appearances this month, including seven runs over his last two outings.

Kerkering has appeared in 62 games this season and owns a 4.97 ERA. His recent struggles have also left the Phillies looking for other options in their bullpen as the regular season enters its final week.

The timing makes the decision more significant for Philadelphia. The Phillies entered Sunday at 85-70 and tied with the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card standings.

Philadelphia has also dealt with availability concerns elsewhere in its bullpen. Jonathan Bowlan, who has been used in important late-inning situations, has been unavailable while dealing with a mild groin strain.

Kerkering’s demotion now leaves the Phillies with another bullpen role to fill as they prepare for the postseason race. The organization will hope the right-hander can regain his form in Triple-A while Philadelphia searches for more reliable innings in the majors.

For Mattingly, though, the immediate concern is clear. Kerkering’s recent performance has reached a point where the Phillies felt a change was necessary with the season nearing its conclusion.

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This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 11:42 AM.