The Philadelphia Phillies optioned reliever Orion Kerkering to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after he posted an 18.69 ERA in four September appearances. The right-hander gave up four runs Saturday against the New York Mets, prompting interim manager Don Mattingly to express uncertainty about where to use him. Kerkering had been one of the team's most reliable setup men, going 13-7 with a 2.78 ERA over the previous two seasons.

His struggles followed a season-ending throwing error in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Division Series, when he threw the ball over catcher J.T. Realmuto's head, allowing Hyeseong Kim to score the winning run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kerkering opened the current season strong with a 2.03 ERA in his first 29 appearances but has since seen his ERA balloon to 10.80 over his last 19 appearances.

To fill the roster spot, the Phillies promoted right-hander Max Lazar from Lehigh Valley.