Phillies

Maybe it’s Curtains for Orion Kerkering’s Phillies Tenure

By Nick Piccone

Published: Sep 21st, 2026 · 9:12 AM EDT

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The moment after Orion Kerkering threw the ball to the backstop in Los Angeles last October, I didn’t feel rage. I wasn’t mad, just disappointed. The Phillies had been setting us up for that heartbreaking moment since Game 1 of the NLDS. I just sat there and watched. Watched the Dodgers celebrate around a crestfallen Kerkering while J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos tried to console him on their way to the dugout. I felt bad for the guy. And after seeing how he stepped up and faced the media in the clubhouse mere moments after he experienced what is the lowest point of his Major League career, I found myself admiring his character and what it must have taken inside for him to be able to face the fire.

I felt that if any moment would make Kerkering’s stint here, it would be that one. I wasn’t necessarily alone. There were plenty of fans that wanted him traded. I can’t blame them. And usually, I would be in with that crowd after witnessing something like that. But I thought this could be different. I thought this teaching moment would be good for him, and so did others. You look at him pitch and you know his stuff is Major League caliber – he simply can’t locate it. His control has completely disappeared, and it came to a head Saturday night in a 10-3 loss against the lowly New York Mets.

Kerkering gave up four earned runs after giving up four hits, a hit batter, two walks, and a wild pitch in one inning. It was brutal to watch, if only because the Phillies were getting killed by soft contact and Kerkering could not find his control.

The Phillies optioned Kerkering to Lehigh Valley after the game:

Prior to today’s game against the New York Mets, the Phillies recalled RHP Max Lazar from triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room on the 28-man roster, RHP Orion Kerkering was optioned to Lehigh Valley following yesterday’s game.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 20, 2026

While none of us expect Don Mattingly to return as manager next season [whenever the next season is], he sounded almost like a mouthpiece for the entire organization when discussing Kerkering after the loss, courtesy of Matt Gelb at The Athletic:

When asked if he was worried about Kerkering’s confidence, Mattingly said: “Yeah, a little bit. Yeah. So I’d say … high. You know, a pretty high degree of worry about him.” A few minutes later, the door to Mattingly’s office shut for a meeting with Kerkering.

A mainstay in the team’s bullpen since the final week of the 2023 regular season, Kerkering wasn’t going to factor into the team’s pitching plans whether he remained on the roster or not. It became too obvious in recent weeks that the Phillies cannot trust him.

It’s super rare we see a player remain with the same organization and “get right” before coming back up to the bigs. It’s hoping against hope that Kerkering can be a legitimate part of the Phillies’ bullpen in the future. The likelihood of him being traded this off-season is much higher than it was just a few months ago, and he probably won’t net much. Kerkering had a 2.43 ERA with a WHIP of 1.162 in 37 innings the first half of this season – a respectable line considering the Phillies weren’t sure about how he would respond after last season. But after the All-Star break, Kerkering’s ERA ballooned to 9.43 and his WHIP was 1.952 in only 21 innings. He was given high-leverage opportunities that he earned due to his first half, but it was clear he could not meet the moment. And when they tried to hide him back into the middle innings, he just couldn’t regain his form from earlier this season.

I don’t think the Phillies want to wait to see if Kerkering figures anything out in the minors next season; they might feel like they can’t wait. They might (and should) want to go into next season with a fixed bullpen instead of a couple of question marks. This is a classic case of a change of scenery may be good for both sides. The Phillies’ bullpen woes go far beyond Kerkering, but he’s also a key cog in letting the game get away and giving the offense virtually no chance to come back. Saturday night’s game was a perfect example – the Phillies were down 6-3, and even if the vibes are super low right now for the team in general, this offense is capable of putting together a three or four spot in a half-inning. But with Kerkering’s outing allowing the Mets’ lead to balloon to seven – even these “fightin'” Phils couldn’t be bothered to actually fight.

Kerkering’s given up a lot of soft contact that falls in for hits, but that’s where he tailspins. If one thing goes wrong, it means there are three or four more coming. The best thing a pitcher can do after being dealt a tough hand is to bear down. Kerkering is simply unable to do that. I know it’s not easy, that’s why pitchers in general are a rare breed. But we’re also a little spoiled seeing guys like Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez have that in them.

It would not surprise me at all to see Kerkering flourish with another team. It feels like that happens far more often than staying with the same team and suddenly rewriting their career. And after Saturday night, I’d be shocked if he’s a Phillie in 2027.