A lot of the 2026 Phillies season has been creative or unexpected.

So, why not give Kyle Schwarber the start at first base?

It’ll be the left-handed slugger’s first start at the position since he arrived in Philadelphia in 2022. Ten of his 12 career appearances at first came back in 2021 with the Red Sox.

Schwarber was traded over from the Nationals at the deadline, and Boston wanted to do everything in its power to get his red-hot bat in the lineup.

It wasn’t the prettiest. He’s not the most nimble, and it’s not an easy spot to play without a great deal of experience. But the 33-year-old has gotten infield work when the club takes batting practice.

On Monday, he worked exclusively with infield coach Bobby Dickerson at first, signaling an opportunity there could be approaching.

It came one day later.

Mattingly said getting Schwarber on the field at first base 10 to 12 times a year has been something the Phillies have had in the works.

“He works there occasionally,” Mattingly said. “I’m not going to put him anywhere, but he handles himself all right out there.”

By giving Schwarber the nod at first, the Phillies can give Bryce Harper a chance to get off his feet. Harper has played in all 72 of Philadelphia’s games this season, 68 of which he has started at first base.

The move is also part of a larger plan this week, with the Phillies dealing with a few bumps and bruises before Friday’s off day.

“This is kind of the week where we’re a little banged up, knickknack-type stuff in the infield, where everybody was kind of up for a day anyway,” Mattingly said. “Harper today. Trea was going to get it tomorrow, but now it’s today. Realmuto got it yesterday. So we’re trying to give everybody a day before we have an actual off day coming up.”

Mattingly, a nine-time Gold Glove winner at first base, said Schwarber can handle the spot because he has played the game long enough to adjust.

“These guys have played their whole life,” Mattingly said. “I know we’re putting them in positions that aren’t really what they do, so you don’t want to do it all the time. But in spots, they’re athletes.”

Schwarber will bat second for the first time since May 25. He has slashed .286/.390/.414 out of the leadoff spot since then, with three homers and no other extra-base hits in 82 plate appearances.

He slides to the two-hole with a key absence.

TURNER OUT OF LINEUP

The Phillies’ shortstop left Monday night’s win over the Marlins with a right wrist bruise after he was hit by a fastball in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Mattingly said Tuesday that Turner was feeling better than expected. X-rays were negative, and the Phillies expect him to return soon.

“I feel pretty good about that,” Mattingly said. “I expect him to be ready to go tomorrow.”

Injury or not, Turner could have used a day. He’s batting .216 with just 18 extra-base hits and a .595 OPS, which ranks 151st out of 156 qualified hitters this season.

There have been flashes at the plate. He has tallied a dozen multi-hit games, but he has been far from the hitter Philadelphia is used to seeing.

Mattingly expects Turner to be back in the lineup Wednesday. But with a built-in off day Friday, the Phillies could give their shortstop extra recovery time before the two weekend games against the Mets.

Brandon Marsh, who’s batting .324, will bat leadoff. It will be his 24th career start hitting first.

KELLER LANDS ON IL

A late announcement before Tuesday night’s game was Brad Keller landing on the injured list with right forearm tendinitis.

The right-hander played catch on the field pregame, but the move is retroactive to Sunday in Milwaukee. That was a day after Keller did not look like himself Saturday night.

The first-year Phillie surrendered three runs on three hits and two walks in the Phillies’ 9-8 win over the Brewers that evening, helping Milwaukee crawl back into the game. He threw 32 pitches.

Despite not looking as sharp as he did a year ago, with his chase and swing-and-miss rates down, Keller has done a nice job limiting hard contact. His slider, changeup and sweeper have been plus pitches, but he has been ineffective with his four-seamer, which opponents are hitting .440 against.

The injury to Keller furthers the argument for giving Orion Kerkering looks in the eighth inning as the setup man to Jhoan Duran.

Speaking of limiting hard contact, Kerkering’s 21.1 hard-hit rate is the third lowest in the majors.

He’s registered a 2.03 ERA in 29 appearances. His ERA should be a tick lower because of the controversial run that scored against him in Los Angeles recently. Thanks to the soft contact, he has strong rates in expected batting average against (.170) and expected ERA (2.40).

His sweeper has been downright filthy. Batters are hitting just .160 against it with a .240 slugging percentage.

The Phillies recalled Max Lazar from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Keller’s spot. He has produced a 3.86 ERA in 14 innings for the IronPigs this year after missing the entirety of spring training with a left oblique strain.

MINOR LEAGUE JUMPS

It was a big day in the farm system, especially for some young arms.

The club promoted four pitchers from Single-A Clearwater to High-A Jersey Shore. Each is right-handed: Ramon Marquez, Cody Bowker, Gabe Craig and Tanner Gresham.

The 20-year-old Marquez, MLB.com’s No. 9 ranked Phillies prospect, is the most intriguing name of the bunch. He has been one of the most improved prospects in the Phils’ system.

In six outings for Single-A this year, he racked up 47 strikeouts in 29 innings, registering a 1.86 ERA and a .173 opponents’ batting average.

His changeup, which grades at 60 out of 80 on MLB Pipeline’s scale, has been his key pitch in keeping opponents off the bases.

That has been the difference for Marquez. Last year, he allowed 52 hits in 55 innings. In 2026, he has allowed just 18 in 29 frames.

The Phillies signed him for $10,000 a year ago out of Mexico. Instead of sending him to the Dominican Summer League for his debut, they jumped him to the Florida Complex League.

And he stuck.

Philadelphia also promoted another intriguing arm. Matthew Fisher, their No. 10 prospect, was promoted from rookie ball to Clearwater.

The Evansville, Indiana, product, the same hometown as Mattingly, was selected in the seventh round of last year’s draft out of Memorial High School. He received a $1.25 million signing bonus, close to second-round money.

The right-hander, and former high school quarterback, has a live arm. His fastball is routinely in the low-to-mid 90s. He stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, and at just 20 years old has a lot of room to grow.

This year in the Florida Complex League, he made six starts, producing a 4.86 ERA. But over his last 11 1/3 innings, he has allowed just one earned run and punched out 16 batters.

Marquez and Fisher are certainly hurlers to keep an eye on.