Could Kyle Schwarber play first base this weekend. (Madeline Ressler/Phillies Nation)

PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Schwarber grabbed his first baseman’s mitt and trotted out for pregame work on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. It might not be his last time in the infield this weekend.

Philadelphia hopes to play Schwarber at first base for a day before the end of its three-game home series against the Toronto, interim manager Don Mattingly said. Schwarber is slotted into the leadoff spot as the designated hitter as usual for Friday’s opener, but he could be playing the field on Saturday or Sunday.

“I’d like to,” Mattingly said of playing Schwarber at first, “as long as everything goes good.”

The Phillies (62-54) have discussed the idea of starting Schwarber at first base once in a while to give Bryce Harper a chance to DH before, and they’ve done it once this season on June 16 versus the Marlins. This week, actually doing so became a bit more complicated. The team acquired three-time batting champion Luis Arraez to play second base, so the Phillies shuffled their defensive alignment.

Harper is no longer the first baseman. He’s now back in right field for the first time since 2022. Alec Bohm moved corners to play first. Bryson Stott slid from second to third base.

For Schwarber to play first and Harper to DH, it’s no longer a direct swap. But with Harper changing positions, it might be more important for the Phillies to monitor his workload and get him off his feet. In three games back in right, Mattingly has subbed out Harper while leading in the ninth inning twice. On Thursday, Bryan De La Cruz replaced Harper in right field. Derek Hill is a stronger defender, but Mattingly wanted to avoid using him if possible after he crashed into the center-field wall on Wednesday. Mattingly said Hill will be “more playable” off the bench on Friday.

Toronto has right-handers Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber scheduled to pitch Saturday and Sunday, respectively. So if the Phillies choose to play Schwarber at first base for one of those games, they could give the right-handed-hitting Bohm a day off and play De La Cruz, who has relatively even career platoon splits and has drawn praise from Mattingly for his ability to hit righties as a righty, in right field.

Schwarber, who broke an 0-for-20 stretch with a two-hit night on Thursday, said he felt like he was starting to turn a corner. Still, the slugger has not hit a home run since July 18. He’s batting .243 with an .884 OPS this season, leading the National League with 33 homers but leading the major leagues with a whopping 170 strikeouts in 110 games.

He’s appeared in four games on defense this year: two in left field and two at first base. Another opporunity in the dirt sounds like it’ll be coming soon.