Nick Castellanos Benched for Inappropriate Comment, Manager Confirms

Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos found himself sidelined on Tuesday, a decision made by manager Rob Thomson following an "inappropriate comment" made by Castellanos after being substituted during a game against the Marlins.

"One of the things about Nick, one of the many things about Nick that I love is that he is very emotional," Thomson stated before the game. "He loves to play. 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 going to play. And I'm going to leave it at that."

In Monday's matchup, Castellanos played right field and recorded a single in four at-bats before being replaced by Johan Rojas in the bottom of the eighth inning. Max Kepler shifted to right field while Rojas took over center.

"I wasn't happy about it, spoke my mind," Castellanos remarked to a local publication. "He said that I crossed a line. So my punishment is I'm not playing."

The 33-year-old, now in his fourth season with the Phillies, boasts a batting average of .278, with seven home runs and 36 RBIs this season. Hailing from South Florida, Castellanos frequently has family and friends cheering him on when the Phillies face the Marlins.

On Tuesday night, Kepler took over the right field position in Castellanos' absence.