PHILADELPHIA — Rosters expand to 28 players Monday, and the Phillies were active on the eve of that expansion.
The Phillies claimed Upper Perkiomen graduate Tim Mayza off waivers and signed two-time All-Star Walker Buehler to a minor-league deal. Both arrive in the organization with concrete plans to help finish off the chase for a National League East title in September and a chance to audition for October roles.
The left-handed Mayza will join the team in Milwaukee as the added pitcher Monday. To make room on the 40-man roster, Zack Wheeler was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Buehler begins a Triple-A assignment this week. He will throw early in the week, start Sept. 6 for Lehigh Valley and is earmarked to start the Sept. 12 Phillies game against Kansas City. No corresponding roster move is needed, since he doesn’t yet occupy a 40-man spot.
Pirates pitcher Tim Mayza adjusts his hat in an April 12 game against Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
To be eligible for the postseason, players have to be in the organization on Sept. 1. It gives the Phillies a chance to augment their postseason bullpen with two pitchers who took part in last year’s World Series.
Buehler is a two-time All-Star who was released by Boston Friday. He was 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA in 112.1 innings, losing his spot in the rotation after signing a one-year, $21.05 million contract.
The Phillies sought a sixth starter after Wheeler’s diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome. They believe they can clean up a thing or two in Buehler’s arsenal to make him potentially valuable in the postseason.
“He’s in a position where he’s been a very successful major league pitcher, still has a good arm, has got a variety of pitches at this point,” President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said before Sunday night’s game against Atlanta. “This year hasn’t been as good for him as some other years, but we still like a lot of his stuff. We think we see some things that can hopefully help him. He’s willing to work with us. We have a very good pitching coach in Caleb (Cotham).”
The 31-year-old has struggled each of the last two seasons, since missing 2023 due to his second Tommy John procedure. He had a 5.38 ERA and 1-6 record in 16 starts with the Dodgers last year in 75.1 innings.
He recovered to be a valuable postseason piece, making three starts and closing out Game 5 of the World Series. He posted a 3.60 ERA in 15 playoff innings.
Buehler has a career 3.04 ERA in 19 postseason appearances over 94.2 innings. He won World Series titles with the Dodgers in 2020 and 2024.
Dombrowski said the team needs extra length to navigate 15 games in 15 days starting Wednesday. The internal options were found wanting, so they reached out to Buehler.
“He’s happy with the plan,” Dombrowski said. “We’re happy with the plan, and we’re very excited to have him, because we think he makes us better and puts us in a position where we’re trying to do anything we can to A) qualify for the postseason, and then if we make it, to do anything we can to win.”
Dombrowski mentioned the trade of Mick Abel to Minnesota for Jhoan Duran in July and the continued struggles of Andrew Painter as contributing to the lack of internal options. Dombrowski didn’t close the door on Painter, whose ERA remains 5.36 in 19 starts with the IronPigs, getting to the bigs this year, though it seems increasingly unlikely.
“We’re not that far ahead to plan on that type of situation,” Dombrowski said of Painter. “This right now sets us for the immediate timeframe. You never know what happens with anything. I’m not going to draw anything in stone. But this is our tentative plan at this point.”
Mayza, 33, pitched just seven times for the Pirates, signing a one-year deal in the offseason. He posted a 2.89 ERA in 9.1 innings before a lat strain. He started a rehab assignment Aug. 19, and he’s allowed one run in 4.2 innings across four appearances in Single A and Triple A.
The product of Upper Perkiomen and Millersville was great in 2023, posting a 1.52 ERA in 69 appearances for Toronto. He struggled mightily last year with the Blue Jays, designated for assignment after an 8.03 ERA in 24.2 innings.
He was claimed by the Yankees and had a 4.00 ERA in 18 innings. In the postseason, he allowed two hits and no runs in 2.1 innings, including a scoreless World Series outing.
The Phillies don’t have a huge need from the left side in September, but that changes when the postseason arrives, Jose Alvarado ineligible after his 80-game suspension for a positive drug test.
The Phillies can shuttle one of three left-handed starters to the ’pen to augment Tanner Banks and Matt Strahm.
“He’s in a position where it could give us three left-handers in the bullpen,” Dombrowski said. “And I know in the past, we had talked about potentially moving one of our starters, and we still could do that. But the other thing is, without having Wheeler, I’m not sure how that’s going to sort of mesh. We’ve got more of the potential for the three left-handers in addition to (Aaron) Nola being our big four (starters).”
• • •
Dombrowski said that the Phillies will add Garrett Stubbs as the 14th position player Monday.
Stubbs was the backup catcher for the Phillies through the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons.
He lost out on the backup job this year to Rafael Marchan, who was out of minor-league options. Stubbs has spent 2025 with Lehigh Valley, batting .265 with eight homers and 50 RBIs in 71 games.
Marchan has played sparingly, batting .186 in 35 games. Starter J.T. Realmuto has been great, batting .268 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs.
So, opportunities would seem limited.
“On the days Marchan catches, if Topper wants to give Realmuto off from catching, he could still use him as a pinch hitter and then insert Stubbsy at that point,” Dombrowski said. “Of course, he can play different positions. He’s been a winner. He’s done a great job for us at Triple A, not only on the field, but in the clubhouse. So we thought it was a very well-deserved promotion, too.”
• • •
NOTES >> After getting hit by a pitch in the wrist in the 10th inning and scoring the winning run Saturday night, Nick Castellanos started again Sunday. … Max Kepler, who Thomson revealed late Saturday was available only on an emergency basis after wrenching his shoulder Friday, was feeling better, though not in the lineup. … The Phillies start a split three-game set in Milwaukee on Monday afternoon. Taijuan Walker (4-7, 3.63 ERA) is on the bump against rookie sensation Jacob Misiorowski (4-2, 4.33). They are off Tuesday before the stretch of 15 games starts.
Originally Published: August 31, 2025 at 5:20 PM EDT