Amid his return to Philly, Nick Castellanos is designated for assignment by the Padres
Whether or not Castellanos, who is batting .191, catches on with another team, the Phillies will pay $19.2 million of his $20 million salary this year.
Between innings Tuesday night, the Phillies recognized Nick Castellanos by using a pre-sponsored scoreboard segment for a montage of his sliding catches in right field in the 2022 postseason.
From the Padres’ bench, Castellanos tipped his cap.
A day later, it’s worth wondering if it was farewell.
Despite ranking next-to-last in baseball in OPS (.656) and runs per game (3.9), the Padres designated Castellanos for assignment before Wednesday night’s game at Citizens Bank Park, where he played with the Phillies for four seasons from 2022 to 2025.
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Castellanos, released by the Phillies in February, batted .191 with four homers and a .560 OPS in 122 plate appearances in a part-time role for San Diego. Whether or not the 34-year-old catches on with another team, the Phillies will pay $19.2 million of his $20 million salary this year.
“I think it was definitely something that was tough for him to transition from playing every single day to playing two days and then two days off and then another day and then another day off,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “It was something that he probably didn’t love, either, in the end. It didn’t feel comfortable for him.”
Castellanos struggled to adapt to a part-time role in the latter half of last season with the Phillies. He punched his ticket out of town with a spat in the dugout in Miami last June with then-manager Rob Thomson and later criticizing Thomson’s widely hailed communication with players.
The Phillies made clear early in the offseason that they intended to move on from Castellanos, who had one season left on his five-year, $100 million contract. Unable to trade him, they released him as spring training began.
Adolis García, signed by the Phillies for $10 million to replace Castellanos in right field, has been a defensive upgrade but struggled at the plate. Entering play Wednesday night, García was hitting .193 with four homers and a .572 OPS in 229 plate appearances.
Stammen described Castellanos as a “great pro” and said they had “great communication,” despite the difficult role change. Stammen said the timing of the decision to move on from Castellanos while the Padres were in Philadelphia was “coincidental.”
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“One thing that he asked of us when we were talking about signing him was being open and honest and having good communication,” Stammen said. “And I think he felt that’s what it was. I definitely felt that’s what it was.”
The Padres opted for a more natural fit on the bench, calling up utility man Samad Taylor, who plays all three outfield spots, second base, and shortstop.
It’s unclear what’s next for Castellanos. Any team that picks him up would be responsible for paying only a prorated portion of the $780,000 league minimum salary.
“I know he’s got a lot going on with his family and wanting to be around his kids a lot,” Stammen said. “Maybe this is an opportunity for that. But maybe there’s an opportunity for him to go somewhere else and find a place where he can play every day.”
Special start for Nola
Aaron Nola pitched well again Tuesday night, allowing two runs and striking out eight batters in five walk-free innings in a 3-2 victory over the Padres.
But the game carried a deeper meaning for him.
Nola started for the first time on Lou Gehrig Day, MLB’s annual initiative to support ALS research. His uncle died in 2021 after a long fight with ALS.
“It hits home pretty hard for me,” Nola said. “My wife and I support the ALS chapter as much as we can. Lou Gehrig Day is important just to raise awareness and raise the money as much as possible and get the word out.
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“What the Phillies do for ALS is really special. What they’ve done over the years, and, obviously, what they did tonight was awesome.”
The Phillies raised more than $710,000 for ALS research, including a $415,000 donation from Asplundh, a corporate partner whose CEO died in January because of complications from ALS.
Extra bases
J.T. Realmuto returned to the lineup, as expected, after taking a fastball off the left wrist Sunday at Dodger Stadium. … The initial phase of fan balloting for the All-Star Game is underway through June 25 at MLB.com/vote. … Zack Wheeler (4-1, 2.27 ERA) is scheduled to start the series finale at 1:05 p.m. Thursday against Padres right-hander Lucas Giolito (2-0, 4.97).
The Phillies are desperate for right-handed hitting. Mike Trout bats right-handed. But Trout also has full no-trade rights and has never asked the Angels to move him. Joe Maddon, Trout's manager for three years, joins "Phillies Extra" to answer the most important question: Why? And will this be the year that Trout asks out? Maddon also shares his thoughts on the Phillies' managerial change, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, and more. Watch here.
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