Phillies skipper Rob Thomson self-reflects following his ‘productive’ conversation with Nick Castellanos

PHOENIX — One day after Nick Castellanos bemoaned a lack of communication with his manager, Rob Thomson met with the disgruntled right fielder before the Phillies played on Saturday night.

“I thought it was really productive,” Thomson said.

Thomson declined to divulge details of the meeting. But he reiterated that he understands Castellanos’ disappointment with a part-time role after a decade as an everyday player and said both parties could do a better job dealing with it.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ Nick Castellanos hits 250th homer, cites ‘questionable’ communication with Rob Thomson over changing role

Castellanos hit his 250th career homer Friday night, then said he doesn’t often speak with Thomson, adding that Thomson’s “communication over the years has been questionable, at least in my experience.”

“If not only Nick but if anybody in that clubhouse doesn’t think that I’m communicating enough with them, I’m probably not and I’ve got to do a better job at it,” Thomson said. “But there’s two ways of communicating, and that door is always open. And I’m not a mind-reader. I can’t tell the future. So, I urge players, I want players to come in here and tell me what’s on their mind. But I have to do a better job.”

Thomson has mostly been praised by players for his strong communication skills since taking over as manager in June 2022. And under his leadership, the Phillies have made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons.

Castellanos is tied for the second-most games started by any outfielder since 2016, including all 162 games for the Phillies last season. But his playing time has been reduced since August, a consequence of being outproduced at the plate by fellow outfielders Harrison Bader, Brandon Marsh, and Max Kepler.

Before the Phillies faced the Mets in New York last month, Thomson said Castellanos knocked on his door to ask about the allocation of playing time for that series. Thomson said Castellanos hasn’t done that lately.

“But again,” Thomson said, “if a guy’s frustrated, I want to communicate.”

Castellanos has been starting primarily against left-handed starting pitchers. He’s scheduled to be in the lineup Sunday against Diamondbacks lefty Eduardo Rodríguez and Tuesday night against Marlins lefty Ryan Weathers.

» READ MORE: Phillies’ Nick Castellanos says he’s putting the ‘team goal’ ahead of personal success

Although Castellanos said he’s still trying to figure out the best way to prepare for a platoon role, Thomson said his two-run homer after coming off the bench Friday night is a sign that he can make an impact in the postseason.

“Oh absolutely, yeah,” Thomson said. “And at some point there’s a really good chance he’s going to get hot. But right now, you look at the last month, with all four of those outfielders, they’re really productive. So, the job is to try and put them in the best spot [for] success, and so far, it’s been pretty good of late.

“As I’ve said all along, it’s a tough thing for a guy that’s played every day throughout the minor leagues, every day in his big league career. To take this type of role, your routines change, your mindset changes a little bit. It takes a while.”

“The Walker-Buehler Game” went nearly according to plan Friday night, with Taijuan Walker allowing two runs in the first inning but nothing more before passing the baton to Walker Buehler, who pitched 3⅔ scoreless innings.

Buehler will start Thursday at home, with Walker possibly coming in behind him.

Consider it an audition for both pitchers, starters for most of their careers but more likely to be used in relief roles in the postseason.

“Definitely not really my cup of tea, but I’d much rather be pitching in the big leagues and coming out of the bullpen than being home,” Buehler said. “I’ll do whatever I can to help our team as we set our sights on something here.”

» READ MORE: Roster decisions, a bullpen question, and more: What to watch for as the Phillies get set for the playoffs

Walker began the season in the starting rotation, moved to the bullpen in May and June, then went back to starting. He has a 4.25 ERA in 21 starts and a 3.71 mark in 11 relief appearances.

But Walker believes he’s better suited now to go back to a reliever role.

“Just the routine that I was able to build going back and forth all year,” Walker said, “I think I’ll be ready to transition back in easily.”

Outfielder Johan Rojas tweaked his quadriceps Friday night at triple-A Lehigh Valley. If healthy, Rojas will receive consideration for a spot on the Phillies’ division series roster as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. ... Trea Turner (hamstring) ran arcs around the infield and did change-of-direction drills in Philadelphia. ... ... Ranger Suárez (12-6, 2.84 ERA) is scheduled to start against Diamondbacks lefty Eduardo Rodríguez (8-8, 5.12) in the series finale next Sunday (4:10 p.m., NBCSP).