Phillies fans to miss out on Nick Castellanos return after Padres roster move

The Philadelphia Phillies signed Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to huge contracts before the 2022 season, and since then, they've made the postseason every year.

While Schwarber is sticking on the roster, the Phillies cut ties with Castellanos this offseason, and he signed a veteran minimum contract with the San Diego Padres.

With the Padres in town for the first time in 2026, Phillies fans were hoping to get the chance to see Castellanos return to Philadelphia. But, as the Padres announced Wednesday, they have designated Castellanos for assignment.

Phillies fans won't see Nick Castellanos play in Philly in 2026

"We have designated 1B/OF Nick Castellanos for assignment and selected the contract of INF/OF Samad Taylor from Triple-A El Paso. Taylor will wear No. 0," the Padres announced.

Castellanos, who was sitting on the bench for the first game of the series in Philadelphia, was DFA'd by the Padres before he could get into the lineup against the Phillies in Philadelphia.

The long-time Phillies outfielder didn't get a chance to suit up against his former team despite being on the bench at Citizens Bank Park.

This season, Castellanos hasn't been that great for the Padres. He was hitting .191 with four homers and 20 RBIs to go with a .560 OPS.

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While the Padres offense as a whole hasn't been great, he's been one of the team's worst hitters this season. So, this roster move is not that big of a surprise for the Padres.

He did get to face the Phillies earlier this season, going 1-for-8 in the series in San Diego. But, for the Philadelphia home crowd, they are going to miss out on seeing Castellanos suit up against them.

The four-year Phillies veteran didn't get the chance to come to the plate in Citizens Bank Park and hear the fan reaction to his return against the Phillies.

This is a sad roster move from the Padres from the Phillies fan perspective. For the fans hoping to see Castellanos for what might be the last time play in Philadelphia, the only hope is for him to sign with a new team and come back to CBP later this year.

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