Nick Castellanos Returns to Phillies Lineup After Brief Bench
Nick Castellanos took the field for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, marking his return after a one-game absence. The outfielder was benched the previous day due to an "inappropriate comment" made during a defensive substitution on Monday.
"It's gone. It's gone. We're good," manager Rob Thomson stated, addressing the situation that interrupted Castellanos' impressive streak of 236 consecutive starts.
In Monday's game, 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, with the Phillies leading 3-1. Max Kepler shifted to right field while Rojas took over center.
Thomson had mentioned post-game on Monday that he planned to utilize Rojas against right-handed pitching, hinting at a potential strategy for future games.
On Wednesday, Thomson noted that this approach would be contingent on specific game situations. When questioned about the possibility of substituting Castellanos again in a similar scenario, he replied, "Probably not today."
The manager clarified that Castellanos was only meant to sit out Tuesday's game, which the Phillies lost 8-3. The 33-year-old outfielder is currently in his fourth season with the team, contributing a batting average of .278 along with seven home runs and 36 RBIs as the Phillies sit second in the NL East.