After the All-Star break, the Philadelphia Phillies are urgently seeking solutions. Currently, they appear to be a mere shadow of their former selves, and they need to regain their rhythm quickly to avoid jeopardizing their NL East lead.
The exact sources of their potential fixes are unclear at this point. Nevertheless, the front office is determined to make any possible adjustments now that the trade deadline has passed. On Sunday, they added a new pitching option by claiming right-hander Kyle Tyler off waivers from their division rival, the Miami Marlins, after he was designated for assignment on August 9.
Once the league’s hottest team, the Phillies have recently encountered significant struggles. After another series loss, anxiety is turning into full-blown panic, with the next set of games possibly being their last chance for a turnaround.
The Phillies lost three out of four games to the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks and have dropped seven of their last eight series. However, a six-game homestand against the struggling Miami Marlins (44-75) and Washington Nationals (54-65) might offer a chance for redemption. Philadelphia has performed well against these teams this season, with a 9-4 record.
Despite this opportunity, the Phillies have faltered recently, losing 17 of their last 25 games and underperforming both on the mound and at the plate.
Tyler, 27, has limited Major League experience with a career ERA of 4.31 across 15 games over the past three seasons with three different teams, including seven starts with the Marlins in 2024.
This move follows Yunior Marte’s poor outing on Saturday, where he allowed seven earned runs and recorded just two outs. Instead of demoting Marte, the Phillies designated Nick Nelson for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
