Nick Castellanos had played in 236 consecutive games before Tuesday night’s matchup vs the Miami Marlins. It was the longest streak by a Phillies player since Pete Rose over 40 years ago. It was assumed to be a random day off for Castellanos. There turned out to be a bigger reason behind the righty’s disappearance from the lineup.
As the Phillies’ lineup was released on Tuesday, fans noticed a name was missing. A name that has been present in the everyday lineup for nearly two years. Castellanos was out of the lineup for the first time since September of 2023.
Manager Rob Thomson held his usual meeting with reporters before the game, where he gave reasoning for his decision. Thomson said Castellanos made an “inappropriate comment” that “crossed the line”. The comments from Castellanos came in response to being pulled in the 8th inning for defensive replacement Johan Rojas.
Castellanos was asked about the situation, to which he responded by saying, “It’s his decision. He’s the manager.” There doesn’t seem to be any hard feelings between the two, as it was only a one-game discipline, and he is right back in the lineup the next day. He looks to begin a new consecutive games played streak vs the Marlins.
Castellanos returned to the lineup Wednesday in his hometown of Miami as the Phillies continued their series with the Marlins. He went 2-5 with a double and a leaping catch against the wall to end the game in his first game back. Coming into the game, Castellanos was slashing .278/.321/.435 with 36 RBIs and a team-leading 17 doubles.
The two-time all-star’s Phillies tenure has been viewed by many as a disappointment. Signing a 5-year $100 million contract in 2022, Castellanos has not had a WAR higher than 1.5 in his 4 seasons in Philadelphia.
The Phillies signed Castellanos as he was coming off a career-best season in Cincinnati. Slashing .309/.362/.578 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs. He also led the league with 38 doubles.
With those stats entering Philadelphia’s hitter-friendly ballpark, it was expected to be a match made in heaven. It hasn’t gone as expected for Castellanos in Philadelphia, but he has shown serious determination and durability. Showing up for work every day and consistently being a reliable bat in the middle of the Phillies’ lineup.
One thing Castellanos has done is perform when it matters. In the last two postseasons, he is hitting .266 with 6 home runs and 10 RBIs in 17 games.
The Phillies have had very little production from the Outfield for years now. Even with Castellanos being one of the more productive outfielders throughout his tenure, that isn’t saying much.
Numerous players have come and gone for Philadelphia in the last 3 seasons. Names that range from Odubel Herrera to Cristian Pache to Jake Cave. They have had 24 different players start in the outfield in just 3 years.
Dave Dombrowski has tried to improve the outfield on multiple occasions. Trading for Austin Hays at last year’s deadline and signing Max Kepler in free agency have been the most recent acquisitions.
Castellanos is in the middle of one of his better offensive seasons in Philadelphia. He has long been viewed as an underwhelming defender in right field. An outfield of Brandon Marsh, Rojas, and Kepler is much more favorable defensively, hence why Thompson decided to make the late-game switch. While the extent of his comments is unknown, it seems quite extreme to end his lengthy streak with an abrupt benching. The question will be asked whether Thompson made the right decision in ending Castellanos’ streak, but the answer cannot be given unless the comments are revealed.
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