Phillies not ready to toss slumping Nick Castellanos into outfield platoon

WASHINGTON — For two weeks, Rob Thomson has been like a circus plate-spinner, rotating four outfielders through two spots in the Phillies’ lineup and trying to keep them all productive.

Is it time to toss Nick Castellanos into the mix?

“I think so. A little bit,” Thomson said. “And we’ll see how it all works out moving forward. I think it’s good this time of year to get guys days off.”

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But a pre-planned day off now and then is different from being platooned, especially for Castellanos, who started 236 consecutive games before getting benched June 17 for disciplinary reasons. Since then, he sat out only twice, including last Saturday against the Rangers’ Jacob deGrom, one of baseball’s toughest right-handed pitchers.

Unlike the Phillies’ other outfielders, Castellanos is playing pretty much every day.

But Castellanos was 1-for-29 entering Friday night’s game against the Nationals. In 93 plate appearances since the All-Star break, he was batting .178. Among 174 players who qualify for the batting title, Castellanos ranked 170th with a .493 OPS since the break and 173rd with a .204 on-base percentage.

So, it’s worth asking again: Is it time to consider cutting back his playing time?

“We’ll see,” Thomson said. “Nick’s streaky, so I’m expecting him to get hot at some point. It’s just a matter of when. I’ll probably give him a day off here and there just to rest him up, and wait until he gets hot.”

So, Castellanos figures to keep getting most of the playing time in right field, even as Brandon Marsh and recently acquired Harrison Bader share center field and Max Kepler and Weston Wilson split time in left.

Never mind, then, that Castellanos has been below league-average for most of the season, especially when defense is factored in. He does have relatively even splits against righties and lefties — and better numbers against righties (.252/.385/.406 through Thursday) than lefty-hitting Kepler (.210/.306/.377).

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Thomson has gradually slid Castellanos down the order. He batted sixth Thursday night against Nationals righty Brad Lord and could shift to seventh once Alec Bohm returns from a rib fracture.

But any real erosion in Castellanos’ playing time likely would have to coincide with a Kepler hot streak.

The Phillies have seen Castellanos catch fire after being icy cold. Thomson said a Castellanos surge is usually presaged by well-struck line drives to right field.

“That’s really the key for him because it means he’s letting the ball get deep and keeping his head behind the ball,” Thomson said. “That’s just his normal stroke, and when he’s going good, that’s what he’s doing. He’s going to pull balls, obviously. But [right field] is where his target area is, and that’s where most of the balls go.”

Hitting coach Kevin Long rejoined the Phillies after surgery to repair a torn biceps tendon and rotator cuff in his left arm, injuries suffered while throwing batting practice last month at Yankee Stadium.

Long, 58, had surgery last Friday in Philadelphia and missed six games while the Phillies were in Texas and Cincinnati.

It isn’t the first time Long has been injured while throwing batting practice. In 2010, he tore a ligament in his elbow and had Tommy John surgery.

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Bohm was scheduled to be the designated hitter for Lehigh Valley after getting two hits Thursday night. It’s possible he could join the Phillies over the weekend, Thomson said. Bohm was 3-for-17 with a triple and a homer through four games in triple A. ... Otto Kemp, who started at third base, hasn’t played left field since July 13. Thomson said the Phillies haven’t used Kemp in the outfield because Wilson is on the roster. Either Kemp or Wilson will likely be optioned to triple A when Bohm is ready to return. ... Lefty reliever José Alvarado remains on track to join the Phillies on Tuesday after serving his 80-game PED suspension. Alvarado has pitched three scoreless innings so far on his two-week triple-A assignment. ... Taijuan Walker (4-5, 3.39 ERA) is scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. Saturday against Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli (0-0, 3.86).