The Philadelphia Phillies are aiming to secure their second consecutive division title, heading into Thursday with a 5.5-game lead over the second-place New York Mets in the NL East.
As the team gears up for another postseason run, manager Rob Thomson has had to make some tough roster choices to keep the team in top form.
Following the trade deadline acquisition of Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins, the outfield has become increasingly crowded, with Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, and Max Kepler all vying for playing time.
As a result, Castellanos — who has been the Phillies’ regular right fielder for the past three seasons (playing 157 games in 2023 and all 162 in 2024) — has started to see his role diminish due to Bader’s arrival.
Rob Thomson Addresses Nick Castellanos Demotion
Ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, Castellanos was absent from the lineup for the second time in three days, with the left-handed Kepler starting in right field against Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta.
Thomson addressed the decision pregame, confirming Castellanos’ shift to a platoon-type role rather than playing every day.
“It looks that way. I mean, you can call it whatever you want, but at this point in the year, I’m gonna put out what I think is the best lineup on any given day to win,” Thomson said via MLB’s Paul Casella.
This situation isn’t new, but manager Rob Thomson has again emphasized that, regardless of Nick Castellanos’ contributions over the years, his priority is fielding the most competitive lineup.
Castellanos has admitted that the reduced playing time has been frustrating. His diminished role is largely due to Harrison Bader taking over as the everyday center fielder, along with Castellanos’ ongoing struggles both offensively and defensively.
Since the All-Star break, Castellanos has hit just .199 with a .562 OPS, tallying only seven extra-base hits and striking out 35 times in 36 games.
Defensively, the metrics have been even harsher—Statcast ranks him among the league’s worst outfielders with minus-12 Outs Above Average.
While Castellanos is clearly unhappy with his reduced role, the statistics indicate he’s fortunate to still be seeing any time on the field, especially with so much on the line as the postseason approaches.
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