Phillies Reveal Plans for Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sanchez Outings

What do the Philadelphia Phillies have planned for Andrew Painter and Cristopher Sanchez down the stretch?

Sep 13, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (24) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are essentially one victory away from clinching a Wild Card spot in the National League.

Because of a litany of tiebreakers, if the Phillies can get to 88 victories, they will eventually clinch a spot in the postseason field. That is because two of the teams they are competing against, the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks, are facing off against each other in the final week of the regular season.

Someone is going to lose those games, which puts the Phillies in a good position. If they can beat the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 24 for their 88th victory of the campaign, they will have essentially punched their ticket to the postseason.

As a result, they have multiple contingency plans in place for how to handle their starting rotation. As shared by Matt Gelb of The Athletic on X, Philadelphia is starting Andrew Painter in the series finale against the Brewers.

Phillies planning to start Andrew Painter, Cristopher Sanchez

Sep 20, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There were some talks of having Painter come out of the bullpen in preparation for his postseason role, but that was only going to occur if the Phillies locked up a playoff spot. Since there is still work to do, he will be taking the mound to start the game.

Next up in the rotation would be Cristopher Sanchez. He is going to start Game 1 of their final regular-season series against the Tampa Bay Rays, who clinched the American League East on Tuesday with a win over the New York Yankees in the second game of their doubleheader.

According to Gelb, Sanchez could have his appearance shortened if the team has already clinched a playoff spot. If not, he will operate normally, as starting tomorrow puts him in line to take the mound for Game 2 of the NLWC.

Phillies will start Andrew Painter on Thursday and Cristopher Sánchez on Friday. Both are on regular (four days') rest. Sánchez's could be shortened if they've clinched; it still puts him on track for G2 of Wild Card.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 24, 2026

For now, that is all that is locked in stone for the Phillies, which makes sense. Once they have a playoff spot clinched, their focus needs to turn to setting up their pitching staff for the Wild Card round regardless of who their opponent is.

In an ideal world, Philadelphia will have a spot clinched by the time their game ends on Friday. That would give them the opportunity to get their most important pitchers rested and set up for a three-game Wild Card series set to begin on Sept. 29.

Their biggest strength heading into the postseason is the starting rotation. Ensuring they have things lined up to give themselves the best chance of winning and advancing is the No. 1 priority of interim manager Don Mattingly once the weekend rolls around.