The Philadelphia Phillies have already made a key decision regarding Nick Castellanos, but he recently chose to go public with the real reason Rob Thomson benched him in June 2025, and it was reportedly over an alcoholic beverage.
“Nick Castellanos acknowledges on Instagram that one of the reasons Rob Thomson benched him in Miami in June is that he brought a beer into the dugout after being pulled from the game for defensive purposes,” Todd Zolecki reported on X (@toddzolecki).
The information was revealed in Castellanos’ own handwriting. He posted a detailed explanation of the incident on his Instagram account (@casty_8) after someone close to him informed him that details about what happened with Thomson in June 2025 were about to become public.
Castellanos was clear that he broke an MLB rule
Castellanos did not hesitate to share every detail. He even revealed that the drink never reached his mouth, despite the fact that he was holding it in his hands. That, he acknowledged, was important in helping clear his name regarding some of the unfortunate events that took place last season.
“As a veteran of the game of baseball there are rules and I broke one in Miami. After being taken out of a close ball game in front of my friends and family I brought a presidente into the dugout. I then sat right next to Rob and let him know that too much slack in some areas and to tight of restrictions in others are not condusive to us winning. Shoutout to my teammates and Howie for taking the beer out of my hands before I could take a sip. (I appreciate you guys).”
Following that June game, which he dedicated an entire page to in his letter and titled the “Miami Incident”, Castellanos said he spoke with Dave Dombrowski and Thomson about several matters, and that during that conversation disciplinary measures were determined regarding what had happened in the dugout with the beer.
“After the game, I went into the office with Dave & Rob. We aired out our differences and the conversation ended with me apologizing for letting my emotions get the best of me. I would like to note, that I was ready to share the details of the incident in its entirety to the media the next day but was instructed not to by Management. The punishment I received for my actions was the benching the following game.”