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Phillies' Rob Thomson Sends Heartfelt Message to Nick Castellanos Despite Latest Development

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Rob Thomson made the decision to bench Nick Castellanos on Tuesday, a move that came as a major surprise.

It hadn't been reported that Castellanos said something to his skipper after being benched on Monday night.

While there certainly seems to be something brewing inside of the Phillies clubhouse, and this isn’t ideal, it's also important to remember that no matter the decisions Thomson makes, as long as he's being respectful and looking out for the rest of the roster, Castellanos can't get too upset with his decisions.

If anything, the right-handed hitting outfielder needs to improve on the field.

Regardless, Thomson's decisions clearly didn't go as planned.

Perhaps he knew that Castellanos would be upset, but not to this degree. After making a comment, Thomson had had enough and benched him.

Despite his decision, it sounds like there's still some love between the two, at least from Thomson's side. He told reporters prior to the game on Tuesday that he loves how Castellanos prepares for work and that he's very emotional.

Playing with emotions isn't a bad thing, but he can't let it get the best of him like he did on Monday.

“One of the many things about Nick that I love is that he’s very emotional,” Thomson said, per The Athletic. “He’s very emotional. He loves to play, and he loves to play every inning of every game.”

Hopefully, this will all blow over in the next few days and the Phillies will return to their normal selves. It's tough to say that one is right or wrong, as Castellanos likely believes that he's a veteran and deserves to be on the field every day.

For now, there will be many question marks on how this relationship will continue, despite Thomson's comments.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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