Nick Castellanos Returns For Phillies' Playoff Push

With the Phillies fighting for a wild card spot, they welcomed Nick Castellanos back to the lineup on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Phillies welcomed a big bat back to their lineup on Tuesday, as Nick Castellanos rejoined the club.

The outfielder has been on the injured list with a right oblique strain that had kept him out since Sept. 2, but Castellanos found himself hitting sixth and playing right for the Phillies in their series-opener against the Chicago Cubs. Philadelphia optioned catcher Donny Sands to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make room for Castellanos.

The 30-year-old Castellanos returned at just the right time, as the Phillies are fighting for a National League wild card spot. Philadelphia entered Tuesday's game with an 83-69 record and trailed the San Diego Padres by 1.5 games for the second wild card spot. The Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia's National League East rival, held a 12-game lead for the first wild card spot.

The Phillies have not made the playoffs since 2011.

“He can be a huge [difference maker] if he swings the bat close to what he has in the past,” Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said of Castellanos, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey. “Although the guys who have been out there have been really good. But he’s a different animal, you know.

“If his timing is right and he’s swinging the bat like he can, and like he was before he got hurt, you’re getting a fresh player coming down the stretch.”

As Thomson noted, Castellanos was hot before landing on the injured list. He has a .316/.345/.478 slash line with five home runs and 15 RBI over his last 35 games, though he's since endured a 23-day layoff that did not include a rehab assignment.

Overall, Castellanos is hitting .265/.305/.397 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI in his first season with the Phillies. He inked a five-year deal worth $100 million with Philadelphia in March.