For the first time since September 30, 2023, Nick Castellanos was absent from the Philadelphia Phillies‘ lineup on Tuesday, not due to injury or a rest day. According to manager Rob Thomson, Castellanos was benched for making an “inappropriate comment” after being pulled from Monday’s game (per the Philadelphia Inquirer).
Castellanos acknowledged his reaction to being removed, saying, “I wasn’t thrilled about (being taken out) and expressed my thoughts.” He added that Thomson felt he “crossed a line,” resulting in his exclusion from Tuesday’s lineup as a consequence (via the Philadelphia Inquirer).
On Monday, Castellanos was substituted by Johan Rojas at the start of the bottom of the eighth inning. He had hit a routine fly ball to center field to open the top of the eighth, which he ran out. While the exact nature of his comment remains unclear, replacing Castellanos for defensive purposes in the late stages of a tight game is not unusual, though Thomson rarely makes such a move.
Here is the Phillies’ first lineup without Castellanos since the final days of the 2023 regular season:
Nick Castellanos‘ streak of 236 consecutive starts ended with his absence from Tuesday’s lineup, a notable achievement in an era of frequent load management. Over the past three seasons, he has missed just three games, with his 391 games played from 2023-25 ranking third in MLB, trailing only Matt Olson and Marcus Semien.
On Monday, the Phillies defeated the Miami Marlins 5-2 at loanDepot Park, improving to 43-29, two games behind the NL East-leading Mets. They aim to extend their six-game winning streak in Tuesday’s series game without Castellanos.
SOURCE: CBSSPORTS
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