Phillies put Nick Castellanos on 10-day injured list with strained muscle in right side

Castellanos joins the list of Phillies players who have had to take time off for injuries.

Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson talks to Nick Castellanos during warm-ups before the Phillies play the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, June 3, 2022.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

Published Sept. 4, 2022, 5:21 p.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO — Nick Castellanos couldn’t sidestep the injured list, after all.

One day after undergoing an MRI, Castellanos was diagnosed with a strained oblique muscle in his right side, the Phillies announced Sunday. Interim manager Rob Thomson didn’t disclose the degree of the strain, but said it’s “very mild.”

Castellanos was getting treatment before the series finale against the San Francisco Giants.

The move to the injured list is retroactive to Saturday. Castellanos is eligible to return Sept. 13 for the opener of a three-game series in Miami, although even mild oblique strains tend to linger beyond the minimum injured-list term.

“We’re hoping that he’s back when the IL days are up,” Thomson said. “It is very mild. I think he’ll be fine.”

The Phillies added outfielder Dalton Guthrie to the 40-man roster and called him up from triple A. Without Castellanos, and with Bryce Harper limited to designated hitting, the Phillies’ outfield ranks were thinned to Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Matt Vierling, and utility infielder Nick Maton.

Guthrie, 26, batted .302/.363/.476 with 27 doubles, 10 home runs, and 21 steals in 338 at-bats for Lehigh Valley. A right-handed hitter, he plays all three outfield positions, in addition to shortstop and second base. He arrived about noon and would’ve been in the lineup had it been a night game, according to Thomson.

“He’s a good player, can play anywhere on the diamond,” Thomson said. “He’s hit extremely well this year. He’s really played well. He’s earned it.”

Guthrie’s father, Mark, pitched in the majors for 15 years, winning a World Series with the 1991 Minnesota Twins. The Phillies could’ve chosen to call up utilityman Yairo Muñoz, but Thomson said they wanted more of a natural outfielder.

Castellanos, meanwhile, sounded optimistic Saturday that the MRI wouldn’t reveal a significant injury. He felt what he described as a “cramp” on a swing in his second at-bat Friday night before leaving a 13-1 blowout in the sixth inning.

“I’ve never dealt with muscle stuff in my career,” Castellanos said. “It kind of just felt like a cramp. No popping or anything like that. All that’s good. I passed all my strength tests and all those things. If there is anything, it’s going to be pretty minor.”

After the Phillies signed him to a five-year, $100 million contract in March, Castellanos has had his least productive season since 2015. He’s batting .265/.305/.397 with 13 homers in 499 at-bats.

But Castellanos recently had a 17-game hitting streak that boosted his overall numbers and portended a strong finish to the season. He missed three games last week in Arizona with turf toe before the latest injury.

Harper goes fourth

Bryce Harper is typically most comfortable in the No. 3 spot in the lineup. But since his Aug. 26 return from a broken left thumb, he has batted in the cleanup spot.

Thomson said he hasn’t considered making a change.

“I think about it, but we’ll stay where we’re at right now,” Thomson said. “[Alec Bohm] is still hitting. He’s hitting .300 in the last week.”

Harper was 9-for-27 (.333) with only two extra-base hits since his return. Bohm, who helped carry the offense during Harper’s two-month absence, is 10-for-36 (.278) with one extra-base hit since Aug. 26.

Extra bases

Relief ace Seranthony Domínguez (triceps) and right-hander Zach Eflin (knee) are scheduled to throw to hitters in live batting practice Tuesday and could go on a minor-league assignment later in the week. ... Left-hander Bailey Falter (groin) made it through a bullpen session and will start Wednesday night at home against the Miami Marlins. ... To open a 40-man roster spot for Guthrie, the Phillies designated 21-year-old infield prospect Luis Garcia for assignment. Garcia, who signed for $2.5 million in 2017, has struggled at the plate (.227/.323/.338) and with injuries in four minor league seasons. ... After a day off, Aaron Nola (9-11, 3.43 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo (3-6, 3.44).