Detroit Tigers utility player Willi Castro doesn’t always take the best routes in the outfield, and he remains somewhat of a newbie to the most spacious part of the ballpark, but he knows what his arm is capable of in the outfield.
“Five, six,” Castro said. “Around there.”
The 25-year-old, who first played outfield in August 2021, is taking an educated guess at the number of players he has thrown out on the bases from the outfield this season. His latest victim, Mike Yastrzemski, was tossed out trying to advance to second base in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss against the San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park.
To be exact, Castro has six outfield assists: three from left field, two from right field and one from center field. He is worth plus-2 defensive runs saved in right field, which is his best outfield position based on metrics.
“I knew that I had a pretty good arm,” Castro said. “The outfield has helped me be more accurate. In the outfield, you don’t think about anything. You don’t think about mechanics. You just go out there and make a good throw. My strength has been helping me a lot.”
THE FUTURE: Eduardo Rodriguez showed Sunday exactly why he was a coveted free agent
In Tuesday’s fifth inning, Austin Wynns hammered a ball down the right-field line. Castro chased down the ball and completed a running catch in foul territory. He didn’t expect Yastrzemski to challenge his arm, but Yastrzemski tagged up as Castro bounced off the side wall with his right shoulder, spun and fixed his eyes on the infield.
Then, Castro reacted.
He fired a one-hopper to shortstop Javier Báez. He applied a quick tag as Yastrzemski slid into second base to complete Castro’s double play in the fifth inning. At the time, the Tigers trailed 1-0 in the fifth inning.
“When you’re keeping yourself close (in games), defensively, you got to make plays,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “I come to expect it. That’s where we should be, where we expect these players to be made to give ourselves a chance. I continue to be happy with what we’re doing.”
Castro served as the Tigers’ starting shortstop for Opening Day last year, but the Tigers moved him away from shortstop because of poor accuracy to first base. He hadn’t played the outfield until receiving 84 innings of experience in left field at the end of last season. Since then, his role as a true utility player has grown.
In 2022, Castro has played 231 innings in right field, 206⅔ innings in left field, 103 innings in center field, 53⅔ innings at shortstop, 45 innings at second base and 34 innings at third base. His biggest outfield strength continues to be his throwing accuracy, which happens to be his kryptonite as an infielder.
“They probably know,” Castro said. “We have reports. George (Lombard, bench coach and outfield instructor) has been telling us the guys from the opposite team who have good arms and who doesn’t. They probably know. It probably wasn’t a smart decision, going to second (base). Sometimes, on stuff like that, you just got to be prepared and make the throw.”
Castro is batting .247 with a .291 on-base percentage, five home runs, 13 walks and 64 strikeouts in 87 games. His strikeout rate has decreased from 24.2% in 2021 to 20.7% in 2022, a product of better understanding what pitches he can and can’t handle. (He isn’t swinging and missing as much at the top of the strike zone.)
[ Rehabbing catcher Jake Rogers unlikely to join Tigers in 2022 ]
But the focus is on Castro’s defense.
He probably won’t ever repeat his .349 batting average across 36 games in the shortened 2020 season, tying him for fourth place in American League Rookie of the Year voting, but the Tigers aren’t expecting that type of performance. Instead, the organization is trying to develop the next true utility player on a winning team.
Castro is far from a finished product, but he’s a key project for the Tigers moving forward.
“I just feel like the Willi Castro from maybe three years ago,” he said. “When I had those (throwing) struggles (in 2021), I think it was about me thinking a lot about making those bad throws. That’s when errors come. Just go out there, compete and throw the ball.”
Michael Pineda ‘the best he’s felt’ in rehab start
Right-hander Michael Pineda (right triceps tightness) pitched the second of three outings Tuesday in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo. The 33-year-old tossed four innings of one-run ball with three hits allowed and six strikeouts, throwing 61 pitches.
He did not walk a batter.
“The best he’s felt in a long time,” Hinch said. “Velocity was pretty high for him at 92 (mph). His slider was really good. The punch outs are obviously always good.”
Pineda will pitch again Sunday for the Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field. The Tigers want him to complete at least five innings. Once that happens, he will likely join the starting rotation in September.
“His recovery is the key,” Hinch said. “The health has checked out. His pitch usage has gotten better. As he said, he feels pretty close to being there. This is the best he’s felt during this time of injury.”
Jackson Jobe scratch from latest start
Top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, was supposed to make his High-A West Michigan debut Wednesday, but the Tigers scratched him with a sore back, vice president of player development Ryan Garko said.
Jobe, 20, is expected to pitch for the Whitecaps this weekend.
He had a 4.52 ERA with 25 walks and 71 strikeouts across 61⅔ innings in 18 starts for Low-A Lakeland. He last pitched Aug. 17 for the Flying Tigers, allowing one run on one hit and three walks over 1⅔ innings, with 25 of 48 pitches for strikes.
Javier Báez (back spasms) sits Wednesday
Before Wednesday’s game, the Tigers scratched Báez with back spasms.
Kody Clemens entered the lineup as the second baseman, batting third, and Castro shifted from second base to shortstop. Báez is batting .224 with 11 home runs, 20 walks and 110 strikeouts in 109 games.