In the quiet of the Phillies clubhouse, Nick Castellanos sat alone, his gaze fixed ahead as the sounds of laughter and chatter filled the air. Celebrations of Orion Kerkering’s first career save and Monday’s 5-2 victory over the Miami Marlins resonated around him, but he remained disengaged.
The Phillies right fielder faced an unexpected end to his impressive tenure, as he was pulled from the game in the eighth inning for Johan Rojas. The following day marked the conclusion of Castellanos’s notable 236-game streak, the second-longest active streak in Major League Baseball, which he had held since Pete Rose’s time with the team.
The interruption in Castellanos’s streak came after what manager Rob Thomson deemed an “inappropriate” remark made by the player upon his exit from the game. “I understand the decision,” Castellanos stated on Tuesday. “It was when I got taken out. I wasn’t happy about it. I spoke my mind. (Thomson) said that I crossed a line, so my punishment is that I’m not playing.”
This decision by Thomson marks a shift after years of keeping Castellanos in the lineup, even during critical moments when defensive substitutions were questioned. Recently, however, Thomson indicated the possibility of replacing Castellanos late in games facing right-handed pitchers, and Rojas was heralded as an “elite defender.” The manager noted, “So, you might as well use him.”
Such substitutions have been rare for Castellanos, who ranks among the worst in baseball this season regarding defensive metrics, with a Defensive Runs Saved score of minus-10 placing him third-worst in MLB. Despite his struggles, Castellanos is known for his dedication, often being among the first to practice defensive skills. Dallas Figueroa, the Phillies’ outfield coach, remarked, “It’s just a work in progress. We’re working on our jumps, our routes and keep working on understanding the game.”
The benching comes as the team competes in Miami, close to Castellanos’s hometown. His determination was clear last season when he started all 162 games; Thomson consistently backed the veteran, even when rest might have benefited him. There were concerns this year that the strain from continuous play was affecting Castellanos, leading to a recent designated hitter stint to maintain his streak.
This isn’t the first instance where Castellanos and Thomson have disagreed. According to team sources, Castellanos has expressed frustration over being relegated to lower spots in the batting order, a concern he raised during spring training. After starting the season batting seventh, he regained a middle-order position soon after, hitting fourth or fifth in most games this season.
Thomson noted, “One of the many things about Nick that I love is that he’s very emotional. He’s very emotional. He loves to play, and he loves to play every inning of every game.” When asked if pride over his streak contributed to his frustration, Castellanos simply stated, “It’s his decision. He’s the manager.”
— Contributions to this report were made by Matt Gelb from The Athletic.