Padres' Nick Castellanos on Phillies Exit: 'Everything Happens for a Reason'

Nick Castellanos faced off against the Philadelphia Phillies for the first time since his very strange departure from the team over the offseason.

The Phillies are in San Diego to face the Padres for a three-game series, and Castellanos got the start in Tuesday's series opener. He went 0-for-4 in the Padres' shutout loss.

Castellanos has tried to put his time with the Phillies behind him since joining the Padres this winter. Ahead of the first game against his old team, he reflected on his time in Philadelphia and the exit from the organization.

“I mean, it is what it is,” Castellanos said. “I don’t have no hard feelings. They’re an organization that’s doing what they feel like is necessary for them to win, and they’re making decisions, and that led me to San Diego. I’m enjoying myself, and I’m getting to be teammates with new guys.

"Everything happens for a reason.”

Nick Castellanos talks about his time with the Phillies, the way his tenure ended in Philadelphia, communication with the Padres, and the Phillies managerial switch from Rob Thomson to Don Mattingly ahead of the Padres-Phillies series. pic.twitter.com/b1pzxfZB3B
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) May 25, 2026

The majority of scrutiny that the veteran received during his exit came from the Philadelphia media, who are known to be harsh in their coverage. But the picture that they painted of Castellanos was one that cast doubt on his character, and this is what upset Castellanos the most.

But in the end, Castellanos was still able to sign with another team, and now he is playing meaningful games for the Padres. The veteran has spoken about his thankfulness for the Padres organization and how they've accepted him early in his tenure.

“[The Phillies] handled it the way that they handled it and, obviously, it led to me being in a tough spot at the end, not really knowing what was up,” Castellanos said of the Phillies' decision to wait to release him until February. “But at the end of the day, I’m here. I’m in this clubhouse. This staff is great. They’ve really embraced me. I feel like the players have really embraced me. The front office consistently asks me questions about how I see things.”

The veteran struggled earlier in the year but has been better as of late. Overall, he has hit .183 with four home runs and 19 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .556.

After being an everyday starter for the Phillies, Castellanos has struggled to adjust to the decline in playing time with San Diego. However, the veteran has been a professional about it all, staying ready whenever his name gets called by manager Craig Stammen.

Recently, it's been called a lot more, with Castellanos essentially being the everyday right fielder while Fernando Tatis Jr. plays second base.

While his numbers aren't where he wants them to be, he has been responsible for some of the biggest hits for the Padres early this season.

NICK CASTELLANOS TIES IT

Padres were down to their final strike pic.twitter.com/8XMQduXWGH
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 10, 2026

Castellanos will look for more consistency over the coming weeks. Maybe six games in 11 days against the Phillies — including three games at Citizens Bank Park — will help him get there.

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