As tensions flared between Israel and Iran, most baseball bettors around the country probably had the same idea: toss a couple of bucks on Nick Castellanos to homer Tuesday night.
Castellanos has developed an uncanny knack for going deep during inappropriate or somber moments, to the point where ESPN actually pitched a story on the phenomenon. He declined the opportunity, reportedly because he wouldn’t have editorial control.
Still, there he was again, trending alongside reports of Pope Francis’ death.
And while Castellanos was trending on Tuesday — again — it wasn’t because he went yard as bombs flew over the Middle East. The 33-year-old slugger didn’t even play. Phillies manager Rob Thomson made the call to keep him out of the lineup, telling reporters before the team’s 8–3 loss to the Marlins that the benching was his decision.
According to Thomson, Castellanos, who currently sits at -10 Defensive Runs Saved on the season, made an “inappropriate comment” after being pulled for a defensive replacement in the eighth inning of Monday’s game.
“I wasn’t happy about it,” Castellanos said pregame via MLB.com. “Spoke my mind. He said I crossed a line. So my punishment is I’m not playing.”
But even without taking the field, Castellanos still managed to make it onto Tuesday’s NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast.
With the Phillies in Miami taking on the Marlins at LoanDepot Park — which ranks dead last in National League attendance — you could hear just about everything. Including one Phillies fan, loud and clear, chanting: “Free Castellanos!”
“Did someone just…” John Kruk asked.
“Yes,” replied play-by-play voice Tom McCarthy, letting out a sly chuckle. “Someone just yelled ‘Free Castellanos.’”
It wasn’t even the most unhinged moment from the booth during this four-game set in Miami. That honor belonged to Kruk, who recalled on Monday a time he allegedly threatened to kill umpire Brian O’Nora the day before he officially retired from Major League Baseball.
As for Castellanos, his timing remains impeccable, even in exile.
Castellanos may be hitting .278, but his glove’s still a liability. He’s near the bottom of the league in defensive metrics, per Fielding Bible, and Thomson clearly isn’t in the mood to babysit egos. The Phillies are built to win now, and if that means sitting a veteran mid-series to make a point, so be it. Whether that message actually lands in the clubhouse is anyone’s guess.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.