Things couldn’t get more embarrassing than this for Nick Castellanos. After his infamous beef with the Philadelphia Phillies, he was released and started 2026 with the San Diego Padres. However, his .191 average might have proved far less appealing, as the team designated Castellanos for assignment, that too in the middle of their series against the Phillies.

“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 shared via X.

After spending four seasons with the Phillies, Casty signed with the Padres for one year. But his four HRs so far at .191 were far behind his .250 season last year. Still, Castellanos was satisfied with how he was getting treated in San Diego. Quite ironically, Castellanos had high praise for the Padres’ front office.

“The front office consistently asks me questions about how I see things, and when they talk to me, it’s straight — which is great, because then I know what’s up,” he said about the differences between the Phillies and Padres, per MLB.com’s Paul Casella.

However, his 39 games with the Padres were rough, and his 34 SOs, despite not being an everyday player, depict his struggles at the plate. The Phillies visited San Diego last week, where Castellanos could manage only one hit from eight at-bats.

Now, as the Padres designate him owing to his rough phase, the timing is what made fans go berserk.

Currently, the Padres in Philadelphia are leading the series 1-0. After the first game, Castellanos took a dig at the Phillies front office for stripping him without proper communication.

“My phone was on,” Castellanos said via the New York Post on Tuesday. “All they needed was a conversation like, ‘This is going to be your role.’ Apparently, they thought it was just best for the organization that my personality wasn’t in the clubhouse.”

Call it a coincidence or not, the Padres just repeated the same with Castellanos and let him go straight from Citizens Bank Park. They did not have direct communication with him, the thing he praised them for.

The Padres are now calling up Samad Taylor from the minors, who is coming off a .319/.406/.500 slash line with the Triple-A squad. Taylor brings what Castellanos lacks: fast speed on the bases and good defense in both the infield and the outfield. He gives the Padres a versatile player they badly need right now.

Time will answer if the Padres’ decision was right, but the embarrassment to Castellanos is what left fans fuming with the Padres.

The Padres fans are left unimpressed with Nick Castellanos’ move

“Thank you for doing this against the Phillies to extra embarrass him,” one fan took a sarcastic dig. “Definitely classless. Wait a few days. Love how every interview, Casty raves about how honest and upfront the SD front office has been compared to Philly. Too funny lol,” another agreed.

“It’s a veteran baseball team. They don’t cut corners as far as what they do to prepare and win. And also, what reputation they have for how they treat their players and how they have their backs. Even if something goes a little bit awry, they still stand with them, and they don’t deviate from their commitment to them as a person,” Castellanos had shared on joining the Padres. And since then, he couldn’t stop praising his new team.

While fans agree with Castellanos’ struggle, the Padres could still wait for the Phillies series to end to designate him.

The Padres have players who are struggling even more than Nick Castellanos. Why are they not designated? Fans wonder.

“HOW DID CASTELLANOS LEAVE BEFORE FREDDY F—ING FERMIN?” One fan asks. “Damn, that’s cold lol. It should have been Freddy, but hey, what do we know,” another added.

Freddy Fermin is hitting .130 and has yet to score a homer this season. Last year, he scored just two homers with the Padres after the trade deadline. It is worse than what Castellanos was doing. Thus, fans wonder why the Padres make a move with Castellanos and not Fermin! According to ESPN, Fermin recorded a strong Range Factor (RF) of 9.42, which may be a reason for the Padres to retain him.

“Damn, didn’t even let him start against the Phillies; that’s cold,” one user remarked.

Castellanos was benched in the first game against the Phillies. Next thing we know, while visiting Citizens Bank Park, Castellanos got designated. Ironically, Castellanos’ next stint after the Phillies also ended in the same city.