With the final month of the 2025 MLB season upon us, the Philadelphia Phillies appear to have their roster set heading into the stretch run. With catcher Garrett Stubbs and recent waiver claim Tim Mayza added to the expanded September roster, the Phillies now have their 28-man group for the drive to the playoffs.
However, despite everything appearing to be set, there have been some struggling Phillies players that have yet to find their game with just a few weeks remaining on the schedule. Here, we will take a look at three disappointing players who will be on thin ice as we head into the final month of the season.
These are all players who could lose playing time or even see their tenure with the organization at risk going forward.
3 disappointing Phillies on thin ice over the final month of the season
Weston Wilson, UTL
After a solid campaign with the Phillies in 2024, Weston Wilson was expected to take the next step in establishing himself as a key bench utilityman this season. Wilson has certainly done his part defensively by taking reps at five different positions, including pitching, over the course of the year, committing only one error in 34 games in the field. However, he has left a lot to be desired with his performance at the plate, compiling just a feeble .214 average and .666 OPS, along with nine runs scored, three home runs and 11 RBIs over 39 games played.
After being recalled in July, Wilson had a hot streak in early August and finished the month with a .250 average and .773 OPS, with two home runs and seven RBIs in 14 games. However, with the bulk of the Phillies’ everyday roster being healthy, along with Philadelphia going with a four-man outfield rotation that doesn’t include Wilson, opportunities will likely be hard to come by down the stretch.
With Edmundo Sosa firmly entrenched as the team’s most effective infield utilityman, his future with the Phillies remains in doubt as he's out of options next season. Wilson will need to be at his very best to garner any playing time going forward as the Phillies face crunch time in the coming weeks.
Nick Castellanos, OF
For someone who had been a mainstay in the Phillies’ lineup over the past few seasons, including appearing in all 162 games in 2024, things appear to be on the verge of a drastic change for former All-Star outfielder Nick Castellanos. After a strong first half of the 2025 season, things have fallen apart offensively since the turn of the month in August.
The 33-year-old outfielder struggled to a dismal .180 batting average and .510 OPS, with just two doubles, two home runs and three RBIs in 24 games in August. As a result, he is on pace for his worst offensive numbers in three years.
The Phillies are currently implementing a four-man outfield rotation with Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Harrison Bader. Some controversy arose in recent games when the 13-year veteran wasn’t too pleased after being removed in favor of a defensive replacement, which had barely happened throughout his tenure with the Phillies. Manager Rob Thomson openly rectified the problem, but with the way that Castellanos has been producing with the bat recently, it won’t be surprising if playing time in the field isn’t the only thing that he may be losing. In the weeks ahead, things could start to get messy if he ends up getting more unexpected extra rest at the plate as well.
Jordan Romano, RHP
Finally, we have one of the Phillies’ supposedly prized offseason additions in former All-Star closer Jordan Romano. Expected to be the successor to the departed Carlos Estévez for the closing duties, Romano has turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments this season.
With inconsistency and ineffectiveness in his performance scattered over the course of the year, it has led to a 2-4 record with an abysmal 8.23 ERA and 1.45 WHIP, giving up 39 earned runs including 10 home runs in just 42 2/3 innings pitched over 49 relief appearances. Romano was a complete disaster in three of his four appearances prior to landing on the IL with right middle finger inflammation.
They needed Romano to help take them to the next level in winning a World Series championship. Perhaps his current injury is a blessing in disguise as it will give the 32-year-old reliever a chance to reset and refocus on his game during his recovery. However, his leash is likely short if and when he makes his return later in the month. He'll need to do all he can to prove that he is still worthy of a spot in the postseason.