Phillies’ Nick Castellanos reveals true feelings after getting scratched from lineup vs. Marlins

For the first time since September 2023, Nick Castellanos failed to make the Philadelphia Phillies' starting lineup on Tuesday. And the reason for this is not because of any injury, but rather inappropriate behavior with Phillies manager Rob Thompson the other night.

The scratch from Tuesday's game is one way the Phillies are using to discipline Castellanos, who made an "inappropriate" comment towards Thompson after he was pulled in the eighth inning of the Phillies' 5-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday.

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Speaking pregame about his scratch from Tuesday's lineup, Castellanos said via MLB.com:

“I wasn’t happy about it. Spoke my mind. He said I crossed a line. So my punishment is I’m not playing... It’s his decision. He’s the manager.”

The failure to make the starting lineup ends Castellanos' 236 consecutive games-started streak. It was the second-longest active streak behind Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson (405) in MLB.

Moreover, he is second when it comes to his franchise in terms of the most consecutive starts. Pete Rose is at the top, having made 350 straight starts from 1980-83.

Rob Thompson defends decision to substitute Nick Castellanos vs. Marlins

While Nick Castellanos didn't like it one bit when he was replaced on defense by specialist Johan Rojas in the eighth inning, manager Rob Thompson did what he thought was best for the team in defense given the close nature of the game.

Thompson said he sorted it out with Castellanos after the game.

"I talked to Nick about it the other day,” Thomson said postgame on Monday. “Just moving for – because we have this run of right-handed pitching, and you got Rojas sitting on the bench. He’s really an elite defender, so you might as well use him.

"One of the things that I love about Nick is that he’s very emotional,” Thomson added. “He’s very emotional. He loves to play, and he loves to play every inning of every game.”

Thompson's decision arguably holds some merit. Nick Castellanos is not a defensive stalwart in the outfield, having minus-10 defensive runs, which is the third-worst in MLB.

From the skipper's comments, it seems both have found an understanding and that no further retaliation is expected.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Veer Badani