The Phillies made a pair of moves on Sunday to gain two veteran pitchers, one for the bullpen and one for the rotation. Reliever Tim Mayza was signed to a major league contract and will be added to the Phillies roster on Monday when rosters expand by two to 28 players. Teams are allowed to add two players – one pitcher and one position player – on September 1st. The position player will be the former backup to J.T. Realmuto, Garrett Stubbs, who has spent the entire season with Lehigh Valley. In addition to Mayza, the Phillies signed veteran starting pitcher Walker Buehler to a minor league contract and he will join the team after making a start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Both pitchers will be eligible for the postseason since both were added to the 40-man roster prior to September 1.

Buehler was released by the Boston Red Sox on Friday after signing a one-year, $21.05-million dollar prior to the season. Approximately $3.4-million remains on the deal over the remainder of the season, but the Phillies will be responsible only for paying the veteran right-hander the pro-rated value of the major league minimum salary or approximately $125,400. The 31-year-old pitched for the Dodgers for seven seasons prior to becoming a free agent and signing the one-year deal with the Red Sox last winter.

Buehler has undergone two Tommy John surgeries in his career with the last one being in 2023. He returned last season and posted a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts with the Dodgers and this season he made 22 starts with Boston and has a 5.45 ERA in 112.1 innings. This season, Buehler has walked 55 and struck out 84, while giving up 22 home runs. The walks and home runs allowed are the most in his career.

The plan, which was announced to the media prior to Sunday night’s game against the Braves, is to have him join Lehigh Valley and make a start on September 6 at Coca-Cola Park, the home of the IronPigs. After that he will join the Phillies and plan on making his first start September 12 when the Phillies will go to a six-man rotation for the remainder of the season. For the postseason, Buehler’s status is up in the air but he could move to the bullpen for the playoffs.

Mayza also signed with the Phillies on Sunday and will join the team Monday in Milwaukee for the opener of the series against the Brewers. Mayza has not pitched in the majors since April after winding up on the IL with a lat strain and a teres major strain that put him on the 60-day IL. The Pirates sent him to Class-A Bradenton on a rehab assignment on August 19th and he made two relief appearances there before moving to Triple-A Indianapolis for two more rehab assignments beginning on August 26th. The Pirates released the left-hander on Saturday.

To make room for Mayza, the Phillies moved Zach Wheeler (thoracic outlet syndrome surgery) to the 60-day IL, which moves him off of the 40-man roster.

The Phillies won’t have to make any 26-man roster moves with rosters expanding by two on Monday.