Philadelphia Phillies Without Castellanos for At Least Another Week

The Philadelphia Phillies will be without Nick Castellanos for at least another week.

It's no secret—Philadelphia Phillies' slugger Nick Castellanos has underachieved this season. After finishing in the top-15 in NL MVP voting last season, the 30-year-old is now managing an OPS just above .700.

Despite his struggles, Castellanos still brings value to Philadelphia's lineup, and he was beginning to heat up just before he landed on the 10-day injured list on Sept. 3 with an oblique strain.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself: 'hey, wasn't he eligible to come off of the IL on Tuesday?' Yes, he was, but interim manager Rob Thomson said that he isn't ready to return yet.

Castellanos has been hitting off a tee and doing running and throwing drills, but still needs to participate in a batting practice and "high-velocity" stuff. It's also unknown whether he will require a rehab stint before rejoining the team.

For now, Nick Maton has been filling in at right field, and although he has minimal experience in the position, he's been thriving in the lineup. He hit a two-run home run off of Miami Marlins' ace Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday night to lead Philadelphia to a 2-1 victory. 

It makes sense that the Phillies would be taking their time with Castellanos' injury. They have options that can adequately produce in his absence, and they likely want to get him to 100% in time for a postseason run. 

Prior to hitting the IL, Castellanos was slashing .275/.275/.475 with two home runs and five RBI in his last 10 games. Hopefully, when he is reinstated, he can pick up where he left off.

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