Nick Castellanos is part of the Phillies’ outfield ‘rotation’

As the Phillies’ outfield musical chairs have played on since the addition of Harrison Bader, Nick Castellanos seems to have joined the shuffle.

Castellanos was back on the bench Wednesday against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, with Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader, and Max Kepler starting in the outfield. It’s the third time in the last 11 days that Castellanos has sat, after he played all 162 games in 2024.

“Just kind of part of the rotation, the outfielders,” said manager Rob Thomson. “Yeah, that’s all it is. He’s healthy.”

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Thomson has maintained this season that he views Castellanos as an everyday player. With Castellanos now part of a rotation, is he rethinking that view?

“I think they’re all everyday players, to tell you the truth,” Thomson said. “It’s just you got to keep them all rested and sharp at the same time, if you can.”

Castellanos has a .253 batting average and .702 OPS this season.

When Castellanos sat in Texas and in Washington for what Thomson described as preplanned days off, he was in a deep slump. Before his day off Saturday against the Nationals, Castellanos was 1-for-29 on his first seven games on the road trip.

But after returning to the lineup on Sunday, he started to show signs of emerging from the skid. Over the last three games, he is hitting .307 with a double, home run, and a walk, though he did finish 0-for-4 on Tuesday.

Bader also finished 0-for-4 Tuesday, but he stayed in the lineup for an opportunity against a right-hander. He entered Wednesday with a .264 average against righties this season.

In his first plate appearance against Castillo on Wednesday, Bader singled and came around to score on a double by Bryson Stott.

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“I think Kepler swung the bat pretty good. Casty’s been fine. Marsh has a [.850] OPS in the last month,” Thomson said. “Bades had a rough night last night, but he’s made some pretty good contact lately, so just keep them going.”

Thomson said he doesn’t know if this rotation will remain in the long term, and it will depend on who is heating up. He also is staying cognizant of a left knee injury Castellanos suffered in July against the Yankees after jamming it into a wall. Castellanos only missed one game afterward, but it has lingered.

“He’s had a little bit of a knee problem ever since Yankee Stadium,” Thomson said. “So just mindful of that, although it’s not really bothering [him] right now, but I’m mindful of that and just want to keep him healthy.”

During Monday’s series opener against Seattle, Trea Turner checked off two personal milestones in one fell swoop: his 1,500th career hit, and his long-awaited first home run at Citizens Bank Park this season. As he circled the bases, Turner got an ovation from the home crowd and a graphic honoring the hit was displayed on Phanavision.

But turns out it actually was his 1,501st.

MLB announced Wednesday that it had retroactively changed the scoring decision on a play on Sunday in Washington. In the fifth inning against the Nationals, Turner hit a ground ball that was deflected by pitcher Orlando Ribalta, which originally was ruled an error. Turner appealed the play, and MLB changed the ruling to a base hit, now officially his 1,500th.

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The Phillies had collected Sunday’s ball just in case, and Turner made a trade with the family that caught the home run Monday, so he has both balls in his possession.

No matter how No. 1,500 happened, Turner is one hit closer to his next milestone.

“It’s cool when you get the milestones and stuff, and you get compared to some people, I think that’s what puts it in perspective to me,” Turner said. “I’ve watched a lot of baseball growing up. I know a lot of players, and when you’re next to somebody, a player that you looked up to, or you watched play, I think that’s when I feel like, ‘Oh, that’s probably a big deal.’

“But as far as me right now, [I] just feel like I hopefully have a lot more hits in me and can keep doing it.”

Phillies outfield prospect Justin Crawford entered Wednesday hitting .379 with a .946 OPS in 18 games in August. He has hit safely in 13 straight games. Thomson said feedback on him has been “Really good. Still swinging the bat. It’s two hits about every day, so it’s pretty good.” … Andrew Painter is scheduled to make his next start for Lehigh Valley on Friday, which Thomson said will be “a full start.” … Following an off day Thursday, Taijuan Walker (4-6, 3.34 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals.