PHILADELPHIA — Nearly two and a half months had passed since Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos clashed with manager Rob Thomson after being lifted for defense in Miami on June 16. That move hadn’t been repeated — until Friday night’s 2-1 win over the Braves.
Protecting a one-run lead in the ninth, Thomson informed the home-plate umpire of lineup changes amid the blackout for closer Jhoan Duran’s dramatic entrance. When the lights came back on, Harrison Bader was in center, Brandon Marsh had shifted to left, Max Kepler slid to right, and Castellanos was out of the game — despite having just batted in the eighth.
“He made the last out, so we went with Bader because he’s our best defender,” Thomson explained.
Straightforward enough, except that the last time Thomson made such a move, Castellanos reacted poorly. Back on June 16, Castellanos voiced frustration after being replaced by Johan Rojas, leading to a one-game benching and the end of his 236-game starting streak.
This time?
“We’re all-in now,” Thomson said. “It’s whatever helps us win. Leave the ego behind.”
Still, it’s not a simple situation. Castellanos has recently been left out of the starting lineup in four of the last 13 games, with Kepler taking his spot.
When asked how big of an adjustment this is at this point in his career, Castellanos admitted, “It’s a big adjustment.” Was it difficult? “Yes.” How does he handle it? “The best I can.”
Ironically, Castellanos had just made one of the game’s top defensive plays. In the fifth, with runners at the corners, he caught a Marcell Ozuna liner in right and fired home to double off Matt Olson, keeping the game tied.
“He played really well,” Thomson acknowledged.
So was it frustrating to be pulled after that play? “Yes,” Castellanos admitted again.
But the numbers tell the story. Statcast had him at -12 Outs Above Average entering Friday — last among 113 qualified outfielders. His jumps were also among the worst in MLB, and his -13 Defensive Runs Saved ranked near the bottom. Meanwhile, Bader’s defensive metrics are elite: +17 DRS this year, 75 OAA since 2018 (most among all outfielders). Castellanos, by comparison, sits at -74 OAA in that span — worst in baseball.
Given that contrast, the real question isn’t why Thomson made the switch Friday, but why it hadn’t happened since June.
“The situation just hadn’t come up,” Thomson said.
Now the question is: when it does come up again, will Castellanos once more find himself watching the end of a close game from the bench?
Be the first to comment