Overview

• Manager Rob Thomson lifted Castellanos after the eighth and inserted Harrison Bader as the Phillies secured a 2-1 victory with their preferred late-game outfield alignment.
• Thomson called Bader “the best defender we got,” framing the decision as a matchup-driven priority to protect a one-run lead.
• Castellanos said the switch was frustrating and that first-base coach Paco Figueroa, not Thomson, delivered the message.
• The veteran is hitting .253/.294/.406 with negative WAR, and he entered the game ranking last among outfielders in outs above average and near the bottom in defensive runs saved.
• Since the trade deadline, Philadelphia has rotated its outfield more and used defensive replacements late, a strategy that follows a June episode when Castellanos was benched a day after reacting to a similar pull.