The Philadelphia Phillies held a workout session as they await the start of (and conclusion of) the MLB Wild Card series to determine their opponent in the next round of the playoffs. The Phillies will welcome either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Cincinnati Reds to Citizens Bank Park for the first two games of a five-game National League Division Series (NLDS). Tuesday’s practice is just one of a few systems the Phillies are implementing to keep the team in game-day shape ahead of pressure-packed baseball resuming in South Philadelphia.
Dombrowski Speaks to Media on Tuesday
Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations, spoke to a collection of media members and television cameras from inside the dugout on Tuesday afternoon. While there wasn’t any ground-breaking news to come from the 20+ minute media session, there were a few notes to pass along:
On Zack Wheeler: Wheeler had successful surgery. “Great… everything went well,” Dombrowski told the assembled journalists. “Everything went very efficiently. He’s supposed to be here today or tomorrow to get checked out [by Phillies medical staff].”
On Harrison Bader: “He’s given us a lot,” Dombrowski claimed. “I didn’t know if he would play every day for us or not when we got him. We knew he had a chance to do that, but he’s really developed into our everyday centerfielder. He’s done a lot.”
On the NLDS roster: The NLDS roster needs to be set by Saturday, but MLB has not yet provided a time frame for the Phillies to submit that information for the series. While outfielder Johan Rojas is with the club at this time, he is rehabbing an injury and is expected to be unavailable for the upcoming NLDS.
Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski meets with the media ahead of the Phillies practice session on Tuesday. (Missed the first 5 mins bc I fumbled the recording ?) #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/89ZP5sq64a
— Christopher Babos (@CBabosWrites) September 30, 2025
On a 12-man or 13-man bullpen rotation: “We’ve discussed it, yeah,” Dombrowski said. The Phillies front office member was unwilling to share any additional details on the potential setup for the NLDS.
On the outfield platoon situation: “They are never happy about it, and I get it,” Dombrowski stated. “I mean, you wouldn’t want people to be in a position where they’re just jumping up and down, ‘oh good – I’m not going to play every day.” [everyone chuckles] “I mean, that’s not how you want them to be. But it’s just part of the way we do it. In general, guys do a pretty good job keeping things inside the clubhouse.”
Intrasquad Scrimmage Benefitting Phillies Charities on Oct. 1
The Phillies will open play in an exhibition, intrasquad scrimmage tomorrow evening, starting at 6 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia. While details regarding the event are scarce, it will be the only scheduled baseball game for the Phillies before the winner of the Dodgers-Reds Wild Card series arrives in town this weekend. As of press time, tickets are $10 and all proceeds benefit Phillies Charities. Tickets are still available as of press time on Sept. 30.
Related: How Far Will the Phillies Go? 2025 MLB Playoff Prediction