Outfielder Nick Castellanos is planning to return to the lineup on Tuesday, when the Phillies begin a three-game series with the Cubs. Castellanos hasn’t played since September 2 due to an oblique strain, but after taking part in baseball activities Saturday, he believes he is ready to get back onto the field without the benefit of a minor-league rehab assignment.
“[The team] asked if I think I need one and I said no,” Castellanos told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury and other reporters. “I just feel like the sooner I can get back and play and lose myself in a baseball game, the better….I’ve known so many people that have gone down and done fantastic in their rehab assignments and then have come up and it’s a new game. My philosophy is the sooner I can get back into a game that’s important, the better.”
More on-field activities are slated for Sunday, and if Castellanos comes out of those workouts feeling good, it would seem as if he’ll be activated from the 10-day injured list in time for Tuesday’s game. (The Phillies don’t play on Monday.) Castellanos said that swinging a bat was the last step in his rehab, as he hadn’t experienced any issues running or throwing for several days. In general, Castellanos said, “I wouldn’t say [I feel] 100 percent, but I don’t feel like I need to be 100 percent. I just don’t want to feel restricted or like I could injure myself again.”
As the Phillies continue to battle for an NL wild-card slot, Castellanos is certainly eager to return to the playoff race after missing much of September. Adding to his frustration, Castellanos was seemingly breaking out of his season-long slump at the time of his injury. Castellanos hit .318/.348/.505 over his last 112 plate appearances prior to his IL stint, after delivering a disappointing .250/.294/.367 slash line in his first 419 PA of the season. Matt Vierling, Phil Maton and Dalton Guthrie have seen the bulk of work in right field in Castellanos’ absence.
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