Phillies fire manager Rob Thomson after 9-19 start

The Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson after a 9-19 start to the season, the team announced Tuesday.

Don Mattingly will serve as Thomson's interim replacement through the end of the 2026 season after beginning the campaign as bench coach. Mattingly's son, Preston, is the Phillies' general manager.

Philadelphia also promoted third base coach Dusty Wathan to bench coach, and Lehigh Valley Triple-A manager Anthony Contreras will join the major-league staff and assume the role of third base coach.

Thomson had managed the Phillies since 2022, winning the NL pennant in his first season on the job. He posted a 355-270 record with Philadelphia, leading the club to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had given Thomson a vote of confidence just last week, saying the franchise wasn't considering a managerial change despite the team's poor play.

"Rob Thomson's been a good manager for us since (2022). We always look at everything that's taking place, but no," Dombrowski said when he was asked about potentially replacing Thomson.

In December, the Phillies signed Thomson to a contract extension that would have kept him as manager through the 2027 season.

The 62-year-old's dismissal comes four days after the Boston Red Sox relieved manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff.

Cora, who remains close to Dombrowski after their time together with the Red Sox, won't take the Phillies' managerial position and will instead focus on being a "full-time dad," a source told MassLive's Chris Cotillo.