Nick Castellanos played a key role in the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2-1 win over the Braves, throwing out Matt Olson at the plate in what may have been the game’s biggest moment. “First thing, just get a good jump and catch it and just get set to make the best throw that I can,” Castellanos said, crediting his work with outfield coach Paco Figueroa for keeping him sharp.
But despite his strong defensive night, Castellanos was pulled in the ninth inning for Bader. The move frustrated the Phillies outfielder, who admitted the change was difficult to accept. When asked if it bothered him not to be on the field after such a performance, Castellanos kept it short: “Yes.”
The 32-year-old has grown used to being an everyday player, and adjusting to a more uncertain role hasn’t been easy. “Yeah, it’s a big adjustment,” he admitted. “The best that I can.” And while he gave Bader credit as the stronger defender, Castellanos’ brief answers made clear how much he wanted to finish what he started.
Hard Days for Castellanos
Castellanos’s offensive production has been quite low recently. He has just two hits in his last five games with 16 at-bats for a .125 average, which means he hasn’t contributed anything significant for the Phillies in a couple of months.
Bader, on the other hand, has not stopped making important contributions to the Phillies since he arrived. He’s currently batting .313, which puts him as one of the best in that category. He has also contributed two home runs, 11 runs, 21 hits, and 6 RBIs in just 67 at-bats.
“It’s quite apparent that Castellanos is not thrilled with the way he’s being used all of the sudden. He’s biting his tongue and not criticizing Thomson for these decisions, but it’s obvious that it’s irking his soul,” wrote Anthony SanFilippo for PhillyDaily.