Phillies notes: Outfield ‘rotation,’ Castellanos and an unfortunate scoring change

PHILADELPHIA — Rob Thomson is now calling the current outfield plan a “rotation.”

With the right-hander Luis Castillo on the mound for Seattle on Wednesday, Thomson penciled in Brandon Marsh in left, Harrison Bader in center and Max Kepler in right field. Nick Castellanos, who went 0-for-4 in Tuesday night’s 6-4 win over the Mariners, is out of the lineup for the third time in 11 days.

The Phillies have essentially five guys for three spots. Weston Wilson starts in left field against left-handed pitching, with Marsh starting against righties in both left and center field, Bader and Castellanos seeing both left-handed and right-handed starting pitchers and Kepler getting the occasional start in both left and right field against righties.

It’s a balancing act for the one responsible for divvying up the at-bats.

“I think they’re all everyday players, to tell you the truth,” Thomson said pregame on Wednesday. “It’s just, you got to keep them all sharp at the same time if you can.”

Once again, the plan is fluid. Thomson also mentioned that Castellanos is still dealing with a left knee “problem” stemming from when he jammed it during a July 25 game against the Yankees in New York.

“Just mindful of that, although it’s not really bothering him right now,” Thomson said. “But I’m mindful of that. I just want to keep him healthy.”

Here’s how the last seven games at the plate have played out for each Phillies outfielder:

• Bader: 4-for-21 with one extra-base hit
• Castellanos: 5-for-29 with two extra-base hits
• Kepler: 9-for-27 with three extra-base hits
• Marsh: 4-for-20 with one extra-base hit
• Wilson: 4-for-16 with one extra-base hit

Notes

• Bryson Stott’s run of productivity at the plate continued on Tuesday. He went 1-for-2 with a home run, walk and a stolen base, his 20th of the year. He has in recent weeks looked like the hitter the Phillies envisioned him to be when the team utilized him as the leadoff man against right-handed starting pitchers from April to June. Even with Trea Turner swinging the bat well, has Thomson thought about moving Stott from No. 9 back to the leadoff spot? “I like him right where he’s at,” Thomson said.
• Here is a significant scoring change. In the top of the fifth inning of the Aug. 17 game against the Nationals, Turner hit a ground ball to the mound. Pitcher Orlando Ribalta fumbled the ball out of the glove, and Turner reached first easily. The play was originally called an error on Ribalta, but has now been ruled as a hit. That is now Turner’s 1,500th career hit. His home run on Monday night is now his 1,501 hit.
• The Phillies rotation for the weekend series against the Nationals is Taijuan Walker Friday, Aaron Nola Saturday and Ranger Suárez Sunday.