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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 18: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting an RBI single against the Miami Marlins during the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park on August 18, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Heather Barry/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off a dominant 12-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.
They’ve now won eight games in a row, and ahead of Sunday’s series finale, which will feature star left-hander Cristopher Sanchez on the mound, manager Don Mattingly has decided to make some lineup changes despite the team’s recent success.
Phillies Announce Kyle Schwarber Decision
While Schwarber will remain in the lineup and bat leadoff, he will not serve as the team’s designated hitter.
Instead, Schwarber will start at first base, while Alec Bohm, who has been exceptional lately, will get the day off. The decision comes as somewhat of a surprise given Bohm’s recent production.
Bryce Harper will serve as the team’s DH, while Brandon Marsh will return to the starting lineup in left field after sitting out Saturday.
Via Underdog MLB: “Phillies 8/23 K. Schwarber 1B T. Turner SS B. Harper DH B. Stott 2B B. Marsh LF J. Realmuto C J. Crawford CF E. Sosa 3B B. De La Cruz RF C. Sánchez SP.”
Phillies 8/23
K. Schwarber 1B
T. Turner SS
B. Harper DH
B. Stott 2B
B. Marsh LF
J. Realmuto C
J. Crawford CF
E. Sosa 3B
B. De La Cruz RF
C. Sánchez SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 23, 2026
Schwarber’s 2026 Season
It’s been another stellar 2026 campaign for Schwarber, who is hitting .245 with a .529 slugging percentage and .892 OPS.
Across 124 games and 461 at-bats, he’s recorded 75 runs, 113 hits, a league-leading 38 home runs and 76 RBIs.
Phillies Right Now
As for Philadelphia, the Phillies are now 72-58 and have started to close the gap on the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. They currently trail Atlanta by just 3.0 games.
Philadelphia will play one more game against the Cardinals on Sunday before beginning a three-game road series against the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor’s degree from Lynn University, where he studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus on Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan