Castillo was acquired by the Diamondbacks in December and had a solid showing in spring training with a .270/.325/.459 slash line in 17 contests, but it wasn't enough to give him a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old had a .633 OPS over 96 games in his first taste of MLB action with the Pirates last year.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' Diego Castillo: Could return to lineup soon
Rotowire
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Thursday that Castillo (neck) could return to Arizona's lineup within the next couple of days, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
After colliding with Geraldo Perdomo (chest) while fielding a ground ball Wednesday against the Brewers, Castillo and Perdomo each were removed from the game. Luckily, both of their injuries seem to be minor and won't impact their status for Opening Day. Castillo is currently 9-for-33 at the plate this spring with two RBI and a stolen base.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' Diego Castillo: Returns to lineup
Rotowire
Castillo (neck) is back in the Diamondbacks' Cactus League lineup Friday versus the Rockies.
He tweaked his neck when he collided with teammate Gerardo Perdomo (chest) on Wednesday, but both players are back in action Friday. Castillo is at second base and batting seventh.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' Diego Castillo: Suffering from neck spasms
Rotowire
Castillo was removed from Wednesday's spring game due to neck spasms, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
Castillo and Geraldo Perdomo (chest) collided on the first play of the game and were removed after spending several moments on the ground. They walked off the field under their own power, but the extent of the injuries were not immediately known. The Diamondbacks later confirmed Perdomo suffered a chest contusion while Castillo is dealing with neck spasms.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' Diego Castillo: Leaves game early
Rotowire
Castillo was removed from Wednesday's game against Milwaukee after colliding with Geraldo Perdomo, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Luckily, both players were able to walk off the field without assistance, but the situation is still something to keep an eye on. The D-backs will take a look at the two infielders and should provide an update fairly soon.
... See More... See Less
Diamondbacks' Diego Castillo: Lands in the desert
Rotowire
Castillo was acquired by the Diamondbacks from the Pirates on Friday in exchange for minor-league right-hander Scott Randall.
Castillo had been designated for assignment earlier this week. The 25-year-old had an uneven rookie season in 2022 while splitting time between the Pirates and Triple-A Indianapolis, finishing with a .633 OPS and 11 homers with the big club. He's got an interesting bat and is versatile, though, making him a worthy acquisition by Arizona. Castillo will attempt to win a spot on the Diamondbacks' Opening Day roster.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Castillo was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Tuesday, Alex Stumpf of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.
Castillo went back and forth between Pittsburgh and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2022, slashing .206/.251/.382 through 283 major-league plate appearances. The Pirates' decision to remove Castillo from the 40-man roster comes as a direct consequence of signing Austin Hedges.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Two doubles, RBI in win
Rotowire
Castillo went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored in Wednesday's win over the Cardinals.
Castillo notched an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning before coming around to score on a Ji Hwan Bae groundout. He later added another double in next at-bat in the sixth frame. The two-hit performance was his first since July and he finished the four-game series with the Cardinals having gone 4-for-12 with three doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Castillo will finish the 2022 season with a .206 average, 11 homers, 29 RBI, 28 runs and a stolen base over 262 at-bats in 96 contests with the Pirates.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Rejoins Bucs
Rotowire
The Pirates recalled Castillo from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday.
Castillo has been in the minors since the end of July, at which point he had slashed .201/.245/.368 through 257 big-league plate appearances in 2022. Those numbers, combined with his .689 OPS at Triple-A, don't inspire confidence in his rest-of-season outlook.
Castillo was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.
Castillo has been up in the majors all season but has seen limited playing time of late, and he'll head to the minors while in the midst of a 2-for-19 slump. Overall the 24-year-old has a .201/.245/.368 slash line with 10 home runs and 25 RBI in 84 games this year. Bryan Reynolds was reinstated from the paternity list in a corresponding move.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Looks like reserve player
Rotowire
Castillo will start in right field and bat fifth in Sunday's game against the Rockies.
Though he's back in the lineup for the series finale while lefty Austin Gomber takes the bump for Colorado, the righty-hitting Castillo was on the bench in both of the previous two games, when the Rockies brought right-handers to the hill. As such, Castillo looks to be stuck in the short side of a platoon at the moment.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Riding pine against righty
Rotowire
Castillo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Marlins.
Castillo will take a seat against right-hander Pablo Lopez after he went 8-for-24 with two home runs, two walks, five RBI and two additional runs while starting each of the past seven games. With Bryan Reynolds (oblique) landing on the 10-day injured list Monday, the Pirates have a regular spot open in the outfield, and Castillo and Jake Marisnick look to be the primary candidates to play alongside Jack Suwinski and Ben Gamel. It'll be Marisnick who is rewarded with the start Wednesday after he hit home runs in both of his first two games since returning from the 60-day IL.
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Taking advantage of opportunity
Rotowire
Castillo went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Monday against the Marlins.
Castillo has started six consecutive games, though he has been aided by the fact that the Pirates have faced four lefties in that span. He's taken advantage of the opportunity, maintaining a .300 average with two homers, five RBI and three runs scored across his last 22 plate appearances. Despite his ability to play multiple positions, Castillo may find playing time harder to come by in the near future with Ben Gamel, Jake Marisnick and Kevin Newman all back in the mix.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Playing regularly in utility role
Rotowire
Castillo will start in right field and bat sixth in Sunday's game against the Brewers.
Castillo doesn't possess a regular spot in the lineup at any position, but he'll nonetheless pick up his fifth straight start Sunday. The last three of his starts have come in right field, but the Pirates are expected to roll out an outfield of Ben Gamel, Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski in most games. Castillo will get the nod in right field for the series finale while the slumping Suwinski takes a seat.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Slugs ninth homer
Rotowire
Castillo went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Reds.
The rookie gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the fifth inning off Mike Minor and added a single off Ian Gibaut in the eighth. The homer was Castillo's first blast since July 28 and his ninth of the season. However, he's still only slashing .198/.240/.371 through his first 70 games.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Blasts 10th home run
Rotowire
Castillo went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, a walk and an additional run scored in a 4-3 loss to the Brewers on Friday.
Castillo was the only Pirate who could get to Brewers starter Aaron Ashby, and he did so in a big way with a two-run shot to left-center. The backup utility player now has 10 long balls on the season to go along with 23 RBI in 205 at bats. Despite showing a bit of pop in his bat, Castillo has struggled to get on base all season long and sports a meager .244 OBP. He is likely to remain in a backup role unless he can improve his 5.1 percent walk rate.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Slugs eighth homer
Rotowire
Castillo went 1-for-3 with a solo home run Tuesday against the Nationals.
Castillo continued to display power, mashing his fifth home run in his last eight starts. He has eight home runs on the season but is still hitting just .195/.236/.357 across 199 plate appearances. The return of Josh VanMeter has crowded the team's infield, though Castillo drew the start in right field Tuesday at the expense of Bligh Madris.
... See More... See Less
Pirates' Diego Castillo: Sits after five straight starts
Rotowire
Castillo is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Nationals.
Castillo started each of the past five games and went 4-for-20 with three solo home runs over that stretch, but he benefited in part from lineup regulars Ke'Bryan Hayes and Oneil Cruz sitting out three and one of those contests, respectively. Both Hayes and Cruz are in the lineup Monday, and with Josh VanMeter (finger) also back from the 10-day injured list and Tucupita Marcano (illness) likely to come off the COVID-19-related IL by the end of the week, the Pirates suddenly have a logjam in the infield. The righty-hitting Castillo is thus likely to find himself as an odd man out for an everyday role, though he may still see steady starts against left-handed pitching.
