The Philadelphia Phillies’ lineup will have its hands full on Saturday when facing the game’s best player, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who will make his postseason pitching debut in a city that will be trying to get into his head and throw him off his rhythm.
Ohtani threw five no-hit innings against the Phillies on Sept. 16, which means Philadelphia will need to muster whatever it can at the plate in Game 1 of the National League Division Series to get to Ohtani early and not let him settle in. The Phillies can do that, with Bryce Harper (.280, 1.016 OPS) and Kyle Schwarber (.237, .906 OPS) coming alive in the playoffs.
However, despite having gaudy career numbers in the NLDS, Nick Castellanos will not be in the starting lineup to face Ohtani.
The Phillies relegated Castellanos to the bench despite gaudy NLDS numbers
Despite being one of the Phillies’ better hitters in the division series, hitting .396 and an OPS of 1.181, and five home runs in 12 games, Castellanos is not in the lineup for Game 1, with manager Rob Thomson opting to go with his platoon lineup that has gotten him here.
Max Kepler, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason, will start in place of Castellanos, batting seventh, and giving the Phillies their best defensive lineup in the outfield, with Harrison Bader and Brandon Marsh patrolling center and left field.