The Philadelphia Phillies came out on top of the Milwaukee Brewers in a key series win to further extend their lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers for a bye in the postseason, as well as raising their lead in the NL East over the New York Mets back to six games.
During the series, the Phillies made a decision which has been a consideration recently, but hand't been fully fleshed out. That decision was to bench Nick Castellanos against right-handed pitchers.
After the Phillies' win over the Brewers, Paul Casella of MLB.com shared comments from Rob Thomson on the mindset of Castellanos amid his more recent benching. Compared to his prior benching earlier in the year, he's handling things differently this go around.
Nick Castellanos' Treating Benching Differently
Castellanos was benched for the series finale, a move that was unlikely earlier in the year. But with his struggles offensively recently, it's a move that isn't a surprise. However, Castellanos' reaction showed a different, more positive mindset.
"He hasn't said a word," Thomson said. "he's been good. I think he's being a pro, and understands that he's ready to help the club whenever it's needed."
While the role for Castellanos come October is still up in the air, for now, this platoon in right field looks to be the most likely situation for the Phillies. He'll start against left-handed pitching, while Max Kepler gets the starts against righties.
If this were earlier in the year, Castellanos wouldn't be treating the more frequent benching with grace. While he can still be frustrated, he's not getting playing time; his mindset this time around, according to Thomson, is a lot better.
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Castellanos will stay on the postseason roster, as his heroics against the Atlanta Braves in 2023 are enough for the Phillies to, at worst, have a right-handed slugger capable of doing instant damage in a postseason game.
He's not been at his best this season, hitting just .200 since the beginning of July. His offense isn't the only thing holding him back, as he's one of the worst defenders in baseball, according to Baseball Savant.
The Philadelphia benching of Castellanos wasn't an easy decision to make, especially with how he reacted to his benching earlier in the year. But now, his mindset is different and more conducive to team success.
It's a positive sign that, despite being benched, Castellanos isn't expressing his frustration like he was earlier in the year. It's a team sport, and Castellanos is being a team player.
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