The Philadelphia Phillies are hosting the San Diego Padres at Citizens Bank Park in a 4-game weekend series to begin the second half of the 2023 MLB season. 

Phillies Starting Lineup Tonight vs Padres 

Catch up on the first half of the season + Padres preview here >>

Coming Soon: Bryce Harper at First Base

Bryce Harper will remain in the designated hitter spot for the time being. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Rob Thomson told the media that Harper is “pretty close to playing first base, which would give the Phillies much more flexibility with their lineups, specifically in the outfield since Kyle Schwarber would be able to move into the DH spot with players like Cristian Pache or even Johan Rojas sliding into a starting outfield position. 

Phillies call up No. 6 prospect Johan Rojas from Double A Reading >>

Rhys Hoskins is at Citizens Bank Park this weekend as well. Hoskins, who is presumably done for the season after injuring himself in Spring Training, was caught on video today (rocking a mustache) and doing some “light jogging” in the outfield.

Rhys Hoskins “Light Jogging” Today at Citizens Bank Park

The vibes are immaculate right now and everyone should be very excited about the return of the Phillies tonight as we embark on another Hunt for Red October here in Philadelphia.

After a rough start to the year, the Phillies turned it on over the past 1.5 months, posting a 23-9 record since June 3rd. Their pitching staff has a 2.96 ERA during that span, which is more than a half-run better than any other team in the majors. In the same stretch, they rank 8th in the MLB in scoring.

In the National League Wild Card, the Phillies will begin the second half of the season a half game behind the San Francisco Giants for the third and final postseason spot.

The good news is that the second half is favorable for the Phillies, who will play 43 of their final 73 games at home, including a stretch of games in August where they will play 19 of 24 at Citizens Bank Park.

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