Right fielder Nick Castellanos exited Thursday’s 6-4 victory over the Giants in the seventh inning due to tightness in his left hip flexor. The issue first flared up as he tried to beat out a double play in the fifth. Although he remained in the game to play defense in the sixth, the discomfort worsened. Edmundo Sosa replaced him in left field, while Max Kepler shifted to right. After the game, Castellanos described his exit as precautionary and said he plans to be in the lineup Friday, which would mark his 184th straight regular season game—though he admits the streak doesn’t hold much personal significance.
Meanwhile, Brandon Marsh was not in the starting lineup after tweaking his right knee during a misplay in the previous game. Manager Rob Thomson described Marsh as day-to-day and doesn’t expect him to require a trip to the injured list.
An IL stint for either outfielder would’ve worsened an already unstable situation in the Phillies’ outfield. Two such moves could have spelled disaster. While Marsh is in an 0-for-31 slump, Castellanos has been the team’s most reliable bat. He leads qualified Phillies hitters with a .304 average and has an .867 OPS, second only to Kyle Schwarber (1.032). His strikeout rate is just 18.6%—a career best if it holds.
The outfield has been a question mark all season, particularly in center and left. Phillies center fielders have combined for a lowly .450 OPS, with only the Mets and White Sox worse. Marsh has struggled, and Johan Rojas hasn’t shown much improvement. Though known for his defense, Rojas has also made key mistakes. If Marsh were placed on the IL, the team’s next option might’ve been Cal Stevenson, batting just .186 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Óscar Mercado or Weston Wilson—still recovering from an oblique injury—might have also been called upon. Promoting top prospect Justin Crawford remains premature.
Left field isn’t settled either. Though the Phillies began the year with Kepler as their everyday option, he hasn’t started in their last three games against left-handed pitchers. The team has instead turned to Sosa, Schwarber, or others depending on the matchup. Kepler is just 3-for-16 against lefties this season with six strikeouts.
As it stands, the Phillies’ Opening Day outfield is still intact—for better or worse. Still, the team’s situation isn’t as grim as it could be. They haven’t had to make a roster move all season. Their division rivals are dealing with bigger issues: the Braves are 5-13 and lost their top free-agent addition to a PED suspension, while the Mets—just a half-game ahead—are still awaiting the return of key players from injury.
Even with struggles hitting with runners in scoring position and some bullpen concerns, the Phillies can rely on rising star Cristopher Sánchez. The newly extended lefty was dominant Thursday, fanning a career-best 12 batters. He became the first Phillies lefty since Cole Hamels in 2015 to record that many strikeouts in a game. His changeup alone generated 22 whiffs—a personal best.
Sánchez has started four games this season—all following losses—and the Phillies won each one.
“My focus is on staying healthy and being that guy who can stop a skid,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “I want to give my team a chance to win every time I’m out there.”
With that win, the Phillies improved to 11-8—matching their record through 19 games last season. Thomson made sure to highlight that before the game.
