The Phillies started in right field tonight against Marlins righty . That left on the bench for the third time in the past four games, all of which came with a right-hander on the mound. Manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that Kepler would pick up increased playing time against righties (link via ). At this point in the year, Im going to put out what I think is the best lineup on any given day to win a ballgame, Thomson Anthony Bass Jersey said. Theres still a bit of a rotation, if you want to call it that. If you want to call it a platoon, doesnt matter to me. That wont leave much playing time for the righty-hitting Castellanos. Thats le s about handedne s and more a reflection of his numbers in the second half. Castellanos carries a .199/.253/.309 batting line since the All-Star Break. He had a sub-.600 OPS in both July and August. Keplers season numbers are poor, but hes been the much better hitter in recent weeks. The lefty batter owns a .267/.318/.483 slash with a dramatically reduced 12.1% strikeout rate since the beginning of August. That doesnt include tonights performance, in which he chipped in another two knocks and a home run. The Phils havent wanted to give Kepler playing time against left-handed pitching all season. Hes hitting .196/.258/.304 without the platoon advantage. Castellanos will continue to get at-bats against southpaws. The outfield against righty pitching will run , and Kepler from left to right. Castellanos obviously isnt going to take more than a scattered start at DH or first base from or . Hell be relegated to a short-side platoon role barring an injury. Castellanos is in the fourth season of a five-year deal that pays him $20MM annually. The Phils signed Castellanos and Schwarber within days of one another coming out of the 2022 lockout. The Schwarber contract has been one of the best free agent pickups in recent memory. The Castellanos addition hasnt worked out nearly as well. Hes been exceptionally durable and racked up counting stats (including a 29-homer season with 106 RBI in 2023). His rate metrics at the plate have been e sentially league average, though, and hes one of the leagues worst defensive outfielders. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference have each valued Castellanos around a cumulative one win above replacement over the past four seasons. Schwarber, Bader and Kepler are each impending free agents. The Phils could turn left field to former first-round pick in 2026. Its tough to imagine theyll roll with Castellanos as an everyday right fielder next season. Theyre going to make an effort to bring Schwarber back at designated hitter. It stands to reason theyll try to find a trade partner willing to a sume a small portion of Castellanos salary, but his second-half numbers could leave them weighing an offseason release if they dont find a taker. Chris Coghlan Jersey