After being benched for Tuesday night’s game at loanDepot park, Nick Castellanos returned to the Phillies’ lineup on Wednesday—starting in right field and batting cleanup—as Philadelphia continued its series against the last-place Miami Marlins.
Manager Rob Thomson made the decision to bench Castellanos for Tuesday’s game following a brief exchange with the right fielder on Monday night, after the veteran was removed in the eighth inning of the Phillies’ 5–2 win for a defensive replacement—Johan Rojas.
The benching brought an end to Castellanos’ streak of 236 consecutive starts—the second-longest active run in MLB at the time, trailing only the Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson. It was also the longest streak by a Phillies player since the late Pete Rose, who started 350 straight games between 1980 and 1983.
Speaking to reporters before Tuesday’s game, Thomson addressed the decision to bench Castellanos, offering both praise and a firm explanation. “One of the many things about Nick that I love is that he’s very emotional,” Thomson said. “He loves to play and he loves to play every inning of every game. I just thought last night, he made an inappropriate comment after he came out. And so today he’s not in the lineup and I’m gonna leave it at that.”
Castellanos also addressed the situation prior to Tuesday’s game, offering a candid response. “I wasn’t happy about it,” he said, referring to being pulled in the eighth inning. “Spoke my mind. He said I crossed a line. So my punishment is I’m not playing.”
Speaking to The Athletic, Castellanos acknowledged the decision, saying, “It’s his decision. He is the manager.”
Castellanos was removed from the game with the Phillies leading 3–1, likely as a defensive move to help secure the lead and prevent the Marlins from rallying in the final two innings.
The reasoning is understandable, as Castellanos has consistently rated poorly in defensive metrics. According to MLB.com, his minus-10 defensive runs saved ranks as the third-worst among all Major League outfielders. That ranking is consistent with other advanced defensive evaluations. As Phillies Nation reported, “Castellanos is tied with the Athletics’ Miguel Andújar as the worst defensive outfielder in baseball, according to the Statcast metric outs above average.”
Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the exchange between Castellanos and Thomson is that it may point to a deeper rift—one that has either been simmering for some time or is just beginning to surface. As Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reported on Tuesday:
“But this isn’t the first time Castellanos and Thomson haven’t seen eye-to-eye. Castellanos, according to team sources, has complained about disrespect whenever he’s hitting lower in the lineup. That was something Castellanos voiced in spring training, and he hit seventh on Opening Day. But, about a week into the season, he had reclaimed a middle-of-the-order spot. He’s hit fourth or fifth in 61 of the team’s games this season.”
Heading into Wednesday’s game, Castellanos was batting .278 with 7 home runs, 36 RBIs, and a .746 OPS.
If the Phillies are serious about making a deep postseason run, they’ll need Castellanos performing at a high level and producing consistently in the middle of the lineup.
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