Phillies manager Rob Thomson benched Nick Castellanos due to “an inappropriate comment” the outfielder made after being substituted for a defensive replacement the night before, ending Castellanos’ streak of 236 consecutive starts.
“Nick is a very emotional player,” Thomson said before Tuesday’s game in Miami. “He loves being out there every inning of every game. But after being taken out last night, he made a comment I felt was inappropriate. So he’s not in the lineup today. That’s all I’ll say on it.”
On Monday, Castellanos started in right field and went 1-for-4 against the Marlins before being replaced in the bottom of the eighth by Johan Rojas, with Max Kepler shifting to right field and Rojas taking over in center.
Now in his fourth year with the Phillies, the 33-year-old Castellanos is batting .278 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs. A South Florida native, he typically draws large groups of family and friends when the Phillies play in Miami.
Kepler got the start in right field on Tuesday.