Sep 5, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Brandon Marsh (16) celebrates with center fielder Harrison Bader (2) after hitting a two-run home ruin against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro
For the third time in four days, Rob Thomson penciled in a starting lineup for the Phillies that didn't include Nick Castellanos in the outfield.
And for the third time in four days, that starting outfield led the Phillies to a win, this time a 9-3 victory over the Miami Marlins.
That's maybe less of an indictment on Castellanos — who did have two hits in a 6-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers Wednesday — and more of a reflection on how effective the outfield of Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh and Harrison Bader has been against right-handed pitching.
After a Bryce Harper single into no-man's-land plated Trea Turner in the first inning, Kepler hit a 410-foot home run off of Miami starter Valente Bellozo with one out in the second inning to extend the lead to 2-0:
It probably means very little considering it was only a 16-game sample, but Max Kepler entered the night with a .996 OPS in games he started in right field. And then he homers in his first AB tonight. https://t.co/bypNVO1NY5
Kepler would add an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning in what was a strong showing Friday.
During a three-run top of the fourth inning, Marsh and Bader hit back-to-back homers off of Marlins' reliever Lake Bachar:
Brandon Marsh crushed this! 🐶
pic.twitter.com/yUFkaLsIwv
🎙️Scott Franzke: “Bader just unloads on this one!”
pic.twitter.com/BUg3nU1foS
Considering Castellanos played all 162 games last year and took exception Thomson pulling him for a defensive replacement in Miami back in June — the two-time All-Star was benched for making an "inappropriate comment" to the manager after being lifted — it's definitely awkward to not see him in the lineup three times in four games. But it's hard to argue with the recent results from the Marsh-Bader-Kepler alignment in the outfield.
Earlier this week in Milwaukee, Thomson was as forward as he's been about whether the outfield is a platoon at this point.
“Well it looks that way,” Thomson acknowledged Thursday. “I mean, you can call it whatever you want, but at this point in the year, I’m gonna put out what I think is the best lineup on any given day to win a ballgame. Yeah, there’s still a bit of a rotation, if you want to call it that. If you want to call it a platoon, doesn’t matter to me.”
At this point, Bader appears to be the everyday guy in center field. Beyond playing tremendous defense and providing right-handed thump to the Phillies since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins last month, he's added an edge to the team that was arguably needed.
Rob Thomson on Harrison Bader: “I love him.”
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/TdzDQ9i9DT
In left field, Marsh is getting the bulk of the starts, because most of the opposing starting pitchers are righties. There are renewed calls for Marsh, who entered the evening with an .825 OPS since the All-Star Break, to get everyday looks at the position. But Marsh has hit .211 with a .572 OPS in his career against lefties. Weston Wilson also has hit .257 with three home runs in 35 at-bats since the start of August, so he has provided some offensive value against lefties. Also, even in games that Wilson starts, Marsh is typically going to come in to replace him later in the game.
The Phillies will see another right-handed pitcher Saturday in the form of former NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcántara. In his first season back from Tommy John surgery, Alcantara finally has started to look like himself over his last four starts, a period in which he's posted a 1.67 ERA.
In 27 career plate appearances against Alcántara, Castellanos is 7-for-27 (.259) with two RBIs. It's not bad production at all against one of the better pitchers of this era. But is it good enough to mess with the Marsh-Bader-Kepler outfield? Considering Castellanos wasn't in the lineup Thursday against Freddy Peralta — whom he is 7-for-19 (.368) with one home run and five RBIs against — it's fair to wonder if Castellanos will be back in the starting lineup Saturday.
Perhaps just to avoid it becoming a bigger story, particularly since Castellanos is from Miami, he'll get the start Saturday at the expense of either Bader or Kepler. Heck, maybe even Kyle Schwarber will get a day off and Castellanos will be DH. But if Thomson opts to go with Marsh-Bader-Kepler again in the outfield Saturday, it's going to be difficult to second guess him. Platoons might not be popular, but right now they are working in the corners for the Phillies.
