The San Diego Padres have hit a rough stretch over the past few weeks. Following a sweep at the hands of the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego has slipped to 32-29 and now sits third in the National League West.
The club will look to regain momentum as it begins a new series against the New York Mets at Petco Park on Friday.
One of the Padres’ most notable recent roster decisions came during the Phillies series when they designated veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos for assignment.
The move marked the second time in the 2026 season that Castellanos had been cut loose by a major league team after previously being released by Philadelphia.
San Diego later confirmed a series of roster changes, including Castellanos’ departure, placing reliever Jeremiah Estrada on the injured list, and recalling David Morgan from Triple-A.
Castellanos has now officially been granted his release by the Padres.
The decision comes as little surprise given his struggles at the plate and the fact that San Diego was only responsible for the league-minimum portion of his contract, making it an easy move for the organization to make.
The Padres had hoped Castellanos could rediscover the form that made him a two-time All-Star, but that never materialized. In 39 games with San Diego, he batted just .191 with a .560 OPS, while contributing four home runs and 20 RBIs.
His lack of offensive production made it difficult for the Padres to justify keeping him in a designated hitter role as they continue to chase a playoff spot.
What comes next for Castellanos remains uncertain, but his career résumé still includes several productive seasons.
Since debuting with the Detroit Tigers in 2014, he has also spent time with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Padres.
Over 1,727 career games, Castellanos owns a .270 batting average with 254 home runs, 940 RBIs, and a 109 OPS+. However, his performance has declined significantly over the last two seasons, posting negative bWAR figures in both 2025 and 2026, a trend that ultimately led to his release from San Diego.
