3 slumping Phillies players who need to break out of their recent struggles

As the Philadelphia Phillies look to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth straight season and aim to win the National League East division for a second consecutive year, some of their key players find themselves in struggles.

The Phillies take a seven-game division lead over the New York Mets into Friday. For the Phillies to win the World Series, it will take the majority of the team playing well at the right time down the stretch and throughout the postseason.

If the Phillies aren't playing well collectively before the postseason, it won't matter if they win the NL East or not — they will lose early in October. Last year was a prime example of that. They won the division but were not playing well enough in the second half compared to the first three months of the regular season. They ran into a red-hot Mets club in the NLDS, and their season was over in four games.

3 Phillies who need to break out of slumps down the stretch and into the postseason

Which players need to turn things around quickly by the end of September so they are heading into the playoffs with some momentum? Granted, anything can happen, and players' fortunes can turn around at the start of the postseason. However, there is some benefit for all players heading into October on a high note after doing well at the end of the regular season.

Ranger Suárez, LHP

Ranger Suárez's last outing may be a sign that he is beginning to turn things around after performing inconsistently since July. With a 5.17 ERA over his previous eight starts, the left-hander has had only three contests in which he has allowed two or fewer earned runs. He surrendered five earned runs in one of his starts and allowed six earned runs in two others.

His strikeout numbers were up in his last start as he compiled 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings on Monday versus a solid Seattle Mariners team. Fellow lefty Jesús Luzardo has had similar production to Suárez. Both can perform very well for a few starts and suddenly struggle for a few consecutive outings.

With not many more starts remaining in the regular season before the start of the playoffs, will Suárez build upon the success from his last appearance and finish the year with momentum? It would benefit the Phillies' starting rotation in light of Zack Wheeler's unknown return after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot. Suárez has a bit of an injury history himself, missing time with back issues last year and earlier this season.

If Wheeler ends up being unavailable for the remainder of the year, they will need as much help as they can get from their rotation for the remainder of the regular season and in October. Suárez being healthy and pitching well will lessen the sting of one of the Phillies' top starters being sidelined.

Nick Castellanos, RF

Nick Castellanos performed solidly over the first three months of the season. He had a slash line of .282/.325/.451 with a .776 OPS entering July. He has endured his share of struggles at the plate since then, .192/.218/.325 with a .542 OPS in 38 games since July 1.

After beginning with six hits in the first five contests of August, Castellanos has totaled five hits in his last 11 games, with 11 strikeouts and a .109/.128/.196 slash line. He has been in a slump and needs to turn things around quickly, or he may continue to see a reduction in his playing time.

In past seasons, manager Rob Thomson relied on Castellanos as the club's primary full-time right fielder. Following the trade deadline addition of Harrison Bader and Max Kepler's sudden resurgence in August after months of bad offensive play, Thomson may give Castellanos more days off (subscription required) to preserve him for the postseason, per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber.

After receiving an off day on Aug. 16 versus the Washington Nationals, Castellanos responded with a double and a home run in the next game. He was not in the lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the Mariners.

Thomson has platooned several of the Phillies' outfielders throughout the season. Castellanos may find himself a part of the outfield platoon if he continues to struggle into September.

Aaron Nola, RHP

Aaron Nola started the year off struggling, as he has developed a habit of doing. He has not looked like a top-of-the-rotation starter throughout 2025. He missed three months with an ankle injury and a stress fracture in his ribs.

Nola has been a durable starter throughout his 11-year career. For the Phillies to be without Nola at all, especially for such a large amount of time, is unexpected. His first start in three months, on Aug. 17, was less than ideal.

The Nationals tallied six earned runs and seven hits off him in a start that only lasted 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander may not have pitched six or more innings in his first start since May, but this was not the production he or the Phillies were hoping for. Nola obviously needs a few more to get back into the groove of things after missing a large portion of the season.

Nola is expected to perform like a reliable second starter and borderline ace of the rotation. The Phillies will have concerns with their starting rotation down the stretch if he continues to perform below his capabilities and Wheeler is unavailable.

One of the biggest gripes with Nola over the past few years is his tendency to allow home runs. He allowed two or more of them in five of his nine starts before he went on the IL. If he continues to surrender them frequently and is not throwing for long in his appearances, the Phillies' starting rotation is in trouble with just over a month until the start of the playoffs. That would leave them with one healthy starter who is consistently performing exceptionally in Cristopher Sánchez.

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