The Phillies are expected to remove the "interim" label from Don Mattingly and retain him as full-time manager, according to Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic, as relayed by MLB Trade Rumors. The move is expected to be finalized later this week. None of the pieces we have includes a contract length or terms, and none quotes the club.

Mattingly took over from Rob Thomson near the end of April. MLB Trade Rumors says Philadelphia was 10 games under .500 at that point. Yahoo Sports puts his record at 79-55 since he took the job. That fits the final record of 88-74. The arithmetic implies the Phillies were 9-19 when the change came, and the 79-55 mark is Yahoo's figure, which we haven't verified game by game. Yahoo's Chris Cwik framed the story as Mattingly helping the club recover from "a terrible start."

The 88-74 finish was still only good for second in the NL East, six games behind Atlanta's 94-68. The Phillies' run differential of +15 is modest next to Atlanta's +116. The reports credit Mattingly with the turnaround, but the numbers show a team that recovered into the 88-win range without matching the division winner.

The season ended on a split of two games in Atlanta. Philadelphia won 4-3 on Sept. 30 and lost 6-2 on Oct. 1. It had beaten Tampa Bay 7-3 on Sept. 27. Our standings show the Phillies on a one-game winning streak.

Our own staff listing for 2026 still carries Mattingly as interim manager, with Thomson also listed as a manager, so the club has not yet changed his status. The reports describe the move as expected, not done. Sportsnet and the r/baseball thread, which cites "sources," add nothing beyond the Athletic's account. The one open item is the formal announcement, which MLB Trade Rumors expects later this week.