First pitch is 6:45 PM ET on Monday, June 22, and the standings tell you everything you need to know about why this one matters more than your average late-June NL East game. The Phillies are 40-35 and slipping. The Nationals are 39-36 and surging. One game in the loss column separates them, and four games at Nationals Park could swing the division math in a hurry.
Philly comes in losing 3 of its last 5, including a 12-4 thumping from the Marlins and a 6-4 drop to the Mets to open last week. Trea Turner has been the storyline — he left the Marlins series with a bruised wrist, returned, then exited the Mets opener after taking a sweeper off the leg. He's listed day-to-day and was penciled in to start at short, but it's been a brutal stretch and his slash line over the last 14 games reflects it.
The Nationals, meanwhile, are riding the best stretch of the Blake Butera era. They ripped off 4 straight against the Mariners and Royals before dropping the Kansas City finale 6-2, and at one point sat 3 games over .500 for the first time since the 2019 title run. James Wood has been playing at a borderline absurd level, and Dylan Crews is back up from Triple-A and contributing to the offense. This is not the 100-loss Nats anymore.
Injury-wise, both clubs are leaning on depth. Washington's rotation has been gutted — Jake Irvin is shut down, Trevor Williams is on the 60-day, DJ Herz is still rehabbing — which is why the Nats have had to live and die with their bullpen. Philly lost Adolis Garcia for the year to lat surgery and Johan Rojas to a UCL tear, on top of the day-to-day situations in the infield.
- Day-To-DayTrea Turner SS — Turner (wrist) will start at shortstop and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Marlins.
- Day-To-DayLiover Peguero SS — The Phillies reassigned Peguero to minor-league camp Sunday.
- Day-To-DayAndrew Bechtold 3B — no
- Day-To-DayAndrew Walling RP
- Day-To-DayCarson DeMartini SS
- Day-To-DayDaniel Robert RP — Robert suffered a cardiac incident Sunday while preparing to throw a bullpen session and was taken to a local hospital, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayMark Kolozsvary C — Kolozsvary (undisclosed) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrad Keller RP — Keller picked up the save Wednesday against the Athletics, allowing no runs on one hit and two walks in the ninth inning. He struck out one.
- Day-To-DayJarlin Susana RP — Susana threw from a mound this week for the first time since undergoing lat surgery last September, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayTyler Stuart SP — no
- Day-To-DayTyler Baum DH — Baum has not pitched this year due an undisclosed injury.
- Day-To-DayTravis Sykora SP — Sykora will undergo a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow in two weeks, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
- 15-Day-ILJake Irvin SP — Nationals manager Blake Butera said Monday that Irvin (shoulder) remains shut down from throwing, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILDJ Herz SP — Herz (elbow) struck out four batters over three scoreless innings in his second rehab start Thursday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.
- 60-Day-ILKen Waldichuk RP — Waldichuk (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure April 21 and is hopeful to return to game action at some point early in the 2027 season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILTrevor Williams SP — Williams (elbow) threw a simulated game at Nationals Park ahead of Tuesday's loss to the Marlins, MLB.com reports.
Stakes-wise, this is exactly the kind of series the Phillies cannot sleepwalk through. The Nationals are no longer the get-right opponent on the schedule, and a road sweep in the other direction would shove Washington above Philly in the standings before July. Butera's group has earned the right to be taken seriously. The Phillies have to remember they're supposed to be the favorite.