Phillies Nuggets: Thomson talks Castellanos, Pujols and Judge
Nick Castellanos (right oblique) won’t be suiting up for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs or Reading Fightin Phils before returning to the Philadelphia Phillies.
The slugging outfielder did a full on-field workout Saturday, and the plan is for him to do the same thing on Sunday. There’s not an exact date for when Castellanos will return to the lineup, but interim manager Rob Thomson said the hope is that he could do so at some point in Chicago this week.
After hinting a couple times this week that Castellanos would prefer to return without going on a rehab stint, Thomson said Saturday afternoon that “it doesn’t look like we’re gonna do a rehab stint.” Is that because Castellanos — who has enough service time to refuse a rehab stint — made the decision not to do a minor-league rehab stint?
“No, I think, you know, just talking to him last night on the bench, I’m pretty confident and comfortable that he’s gonna be able to come back and do what he needs to do,” Rob Thomson said before the game.
“Now, we may have to give him some days off here and there. He hasn’t been in the outfield much, but you know, he has done this before. He knows his body better than anybody.”
It’s relatively rare to hear of a position player that’s been out for more than, say, 10 days, return without doing a rehab stint. Castellanos last played for the Phillies on Sept. 2 in San Francisco, so if he returns this week, it will have been nearly a month since he last played.
Bryce Harper and Jean Segura are among the veterans on the Phillies that, in theory, could have declined rehab assignments this year. Ultimately, both ended up spending some time at Triple-A Lehigh Valley before returning to the Phillies.
But, with every player, there’s a discussion about the best path forward, even if the media or public doesn’t always learn about it.
“Yeah, there’s always a conversation,” Thomson said. “And like I said the other day, I always feel more comfortable when a guy goes on a rehab assignment just to get out there and play. But, it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the right thing to do, you know? We’re late in the season and if he can perform, then I’d rather have him do it with us, and not miss a couple of [extra] days.”
Castellanos certainly isn’t someone that lacks confidence in himself. If he comes back and immediately provides thump in a lineup looking to clinch their first postseason berth since 2011, he’ll likely be celebrated for betting on himself.
Thomson Reflects On Historic Seasons From Albert Pujols, Aaron Judge
Much of the baseball world was focused on the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees game Friday evening, in anticipation of Aaron Judge potentially tying Roger Maris’ American League single-season home run record of 61.
Instead, Albert Pujols stole the show. The future Hall of Famer homered twice in an 11-0 win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. With the second blast, Pujols became the fourth member of baseball’s 700 Home Run Club, joining Barry Bonds, Henry Aaron and Babe Ruth.
Even when you’re hyper-focused on your own games, it’s impossible not to take note of such a rare historical event in the game.
“It’s pretty amazing to me,” Thomson said. “Pujols’ career has been unbelievable, obviously a Hall of Fame career.”
Judge’s home run chase hits a little closer for Thomson.
Prior to becoming the bench coach for the Phillies in 2018, Thomson spent a decade on the staff of the Yankees. Judge made his debut for the Yankees in 2016, before smashing 52 home runs in 2017, en route to winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award and finishing runner-up in MVP voting. That was Thomson’s final season in the Bronx, so he’s well aware of what it’s like to be part of a Judge home run chase.
“And Aaron, being with him a couple years, and knowing how talented he is and how good of a person he is, I’m locked into that a little bit more.”
The Nuggets
- How’s this for a stat: There are now more members of the 700 Home Run Club (Bonds, Aaron, Ruth and Pujols) than MLB public address announcers that have worked 50 or more years for one team. The iconic Dan Baker became the third member of that club in 2022, joining Bob Sheppard (Yankees) and Pat Piper (Chicago Cubs).
- The Phillies will miss out on Ronald Acuña Jr. for the third consecutive game Saturday, as he deals with a back injury. The three-time All-Star has a .943 OPS in 60 career games against the Phillies.
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