Despite an underwhelming 8-15 start and a current seven-game skid, Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson does not appear to be on the hot seat.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said he is focused on improving the team’s overall play amid its longest losing streak since June 2019.
“We just haven’t played very well. It’s really every portion of our game,” Dombrowski said before Tuesday’s 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. “There’s been some individual players that have done fine, by all means, who are doing well. As a group, I don’t think any part of our team has excelled: offensively, pitching-wise, starting pitching-wise, defensively.”
Thomson, 62, has an overall record of 354-266 (.571) since taking over in 2022, reaching the playoffs in each of the past four seasons. His Phillies fell in six games to the Houston Astros in the 2022 World Series.
Dombrowski said he is not considering a managerial change … yet.
“Put it this way. We’re not,” Dombrowski said. “But if we were, that’s not something we’ve ever shared. Rob Thomson’s been a good manager for us since (2022). We always look at everything that’s taking place, but no.
“Generally, I’ve said about 40 games of the season is when you start to say, ‘OK, where are we shaping up? Guys have had enough time.’ But there’s no magic in that number. Sometimes it’s a little bit more; sometimes it’s a little bit less. They’re not happy with their performances. Shoot, I’m responsible for putting the club on the field, so I’m not happy with the way it’s going. But I think you just balance that all the time on a daily basis.”
The Phillies have been outscored 49-14 during their current losing streak. For the season, they rank 28th out of 30 clubs in team batting average (.218) and 28th in team ERA (4.99).
The Phillies play two more games in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday before heading to Atlanta for a three-game weekend series.
