Philly Leader

The Phillies celebrated on Monday night but were back to work on Tuesday. Manager Rob Thomson reminded the team that they have more to achieve before Sunday's regular-season finale. The goal is to secure one of the top two seeds in the National League, which would provide a first-round bye. Entering Tuesday night's game against the Cubs, the Phillies needed a combination of two wins and/or two Brewers losses to avoid playing in the NL Wild Card Series.

Bryce Harper has been dealing with a sore right elbow and wrist for weeks, along with other teammates facing various injuries. Harper stated, "I mean, everybody goes through bumps and bruises throughout the season. I feel like it’s getting better. I feel like my swings are OK. But obviously, these next couple days, going into Sunday, we’ll see what the lineups look like."

He added, "I think the bye is going to help a lot of our team. I mean, I think a lot of guys are kind of grinding through a lot of stuff, so kind of getting that reset and kind of hitting the pause for a minute."

Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are scheduled to pitch Saturday and Sunday respectively. Thomson noted, “It’s just a matter of how long they go.” It is unlikely they will pitch deep into games this weekend.

The Phillies made roster adjustments by optioning outfielder Cal Stevenson to make room for Austin Hays, who was reinstated from the IL following a kidney infection. Hays started in left field on Tuesday and is expected to play as much as possible without overexertion before making the NLDS roster.

Currently, it appears that Kody Clemens and Weston Wilson will be part of the five-man bench for the NLDS. However, Stevenson remains an option if they face teams without many left-handed pitchers.