September 01, 2025

Phillies call up Garrett Stubbs, will go to six-man rotation with Walker Buehler

Instead of top prospect Andrew Painter, the Phillies are calling up a familiar face from Triple A to help for the September pennant chase.

By Geoff Mosher
PhillyVoice Staff

Kate Frese/Kate Frese for PhillyVoice

Garrett Stubbs will return to the Phillies, getting a September call-up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The "Chief Vibes Officer" is coming back to the Phillies for the pennant race.

Garrett Stubbs, one of the more popular and charismatic backup catchers in recent team history and known for bringing some levity to the clubhouse, has been called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to join the Phillies for the September run, the team announced Monday along with some other moves as MLB rosters expanded to 28.

Prior to today’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Phillies recalled C Garrett Stubbs from Lehigh Valley (AAA). Additionally, LHP Tim Mayza reported to the club, expanding the roster to 28 players. Mayza will wear No. 54.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 1, 2025

These transactions also mean that top prospect Andrew Painter, a pitcher who has struggled during the second half of the season, isn't being called-up, which we referenced Sunday when news broke that the Phillies were signing two-time All Star Walker Buehler as an extra arm with plenty of postseason experience.

As for the 32-year-old Stubbs, team president Dave Dombrowski told reporters on Sunday that having a third catcher behind J.T. Realmuto and backup Rafael Marchan will allow the Phillies to give the 34-year-old Realmuto some rest without necessarily removing him from the batting order.

Per On Pattison, Dombrowski explained that Realmuto can be used as a pinch hitter on the rare days when Marchan gets a start, but Stubbs can then enter the game so Realmuto doesn't have to go in and catch.

"We thought Stubby would be a nice addition," 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."

Check out the entire explanation here:

The Phillies will call up Garrett Stubbs when the roster expands to 28 players tomorrow. Dave Dombrowski explained why: pic.twitter.com/asJyT2BE18
— On Pattison (@OnPattison) August 31, 2025

Realmuto is one of the Phillies' hottest hitters and has emerged as an answer in the cleanup spot, which had been a carousel for the Phillies throughout much of the first half. Realmuto is slashing .266/.321/.403 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs. Although he cooled down in August, Realmuto has by far been the best right-handed protection for lefties Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in the order.

Giving Realmuto the chance to stay in the lineup as a pinch hitter on a day when he's not catching could provide an extra boost for the Phils as they entered Monday's game against the National League-leading Brewers with a 6-game lead over the Mets in the NL East.

The Phils trail the Brewers by 5.5 games for the top seed in the NL as they prepare to face Milwaukee for a three-game series with a rare off day in between Monday and Wednesday.

Stubbs had played 192 games for the Phillies from 2022-2024 as the No. 2 catcher behind Realmuto but was sent to Triple-A out of spring training this year as the team moved onto Marchan as the top backup.

For the Triple-A Iron Pigs, Stubbs slashed .265/.352/.402 in 264 at-bats over 71 games. He also had eight homers and 50 RBIs, as has been the catcher for some of Painter's starts.

In spring training, the Phillies openly discussed calling up Painter sometime in July, but their decision to sign Buehler, who'll be available to pitch in the postseason, all but slammed the door on Painter's big-league arrival in 2025 unless the Phillies are hit with injuries.

In the same meeting with reporters to discuss Stubbs' call-up, Dombrowski said the Phillies would be going to a six-man rotation after a four-game home series against the Mets from Sept. 8-11 with the team in the middle of a streak of 15 games in 15 days and preferred to have Buehler's experience.

Painter has struggled lately in Triple-A, carrying a 4-5 record and 5.36 ERA in 19 starts for Lehigh Valley. Buehler, a two-time All Star and two-time World Series champ with the Dodgers, was recently released by the Red Sox after going 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA in 22 starts, but Dombrowski said the Phillies "see something that can help him."

"This year hasn't been as good for him as some other years but we still like a lot of his stuff," Dombrowski told reporters. "We could've used somebody internal but we just think it makes us better; we think he's a better alternative for us than what is there.

"Painter has been fine, but he's still working on his command so we're not ready to make that type of commitment and we just thought he'd give us the best chance to win at this point."

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