With the NL East crown firmly affixed to their heads, the Philadelphia Phillies look to finish off the 2025 season. A season-closing six-game homestand against the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins will close their season. Ahead of the series opener versus Miami, Phillies manager Rob Thomson stated that slugger Bryce Harper would miss the game. According to team beat reporter Lochlahn March via X, formerly Twitter, Harper will sit out the matchup due to an illness.
“Bryce Harper is out of the lineup today due to illness, according to Rob Thomson,” reported March before the Tuesday tilt.
Despite having the East sewn up, the Phillies are still looking to lock down one of the top-two NL seeds. If Philadelphia succeeds in doing so, a few days off will give the Eastern champions some much-needed recovery time. It's well-known that the shortened schedule of the postseason only ratchets up the intensity. The more rest that Thomson's squad gets, the better it could be once the NLDS starts. Will Harper be back in time for tomorrow's clash versus the Marlins?
Phillies look to make deep 2025 postseason run
At the moment, the Phillies would be the NL's second seed. If the current standings hold, then the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers would maintain the top slot. In a potential NL Championship Series, the Brewers would hold home-field advantage over Philadelphia. However, in all other scenarios, the road to the World Series would run through Citizens Bank Park.
It's a path that Thomson and his team have walked many times before. The Phillies are a deep, veteran-laden roster built to win titles. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was again a major buyer at the trade deadline, picking up multiple pieces to buttress a strong roster.
Now, it's up to Thomson, Harper, and the team to deliver. Despite coming off a series loss in Arizona to the Diamondbacks, Philadelphia has all the tools to tie up the second seed. Can Harper return to the lineup tomorrow against the Marlins, helping kick off a deep run into October?
