Diego Castillo’s story just keeps getting better, as rookie infielder records 1st major league hit
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Just as AT&T SportsNet’s Robby Incmikoski was about to tell the remarkable story of how Diego Castillo’s family traveled to St. Louis for his major league debut, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie took a swing.
And the story got even better.
With his father and grandfather watching from the seats at Busch Stadium, Castillo drilled a 1-0 sinker off T.J. McFarland for a pinch-hit double to right field and his first major league hit.
“Best moment of my life,” Castillo said, with a satisfied smile.
Castillo described watching the ball sail over second base and how he couldn’t feel his body as he was rounding first. Finally, Castillo thought, he had achieved a career goal. That’s when the 24-year-old Venezuelan searched the grandstands to find his family and got emotional and cried a little bit.
“I’ve been dreaming of that hit,” Castillo told reporters in St. Louis, “for 13, 14 years.”
A nice moment for this guy, 1st big league hit for Diego Castillo. pic.twitter.com/IHwAwkKIw1
— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) April 9, 2022
Finally, Incmikoski got to tell the 48-hour ordeal Castillo’s father endured to see his son play an MLB game in person. Juan Castillo took an hour-long flight from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, to Caracas with stops in Panama and Atlanta en route to St. Louis. His grandfather, Esteban Rodriguez, and other relatives flew in from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Pirates acquired Castillo from the New York Yankees, along with infielder/outfielder Hoy Park, in the Clay Holmes trade last July. Castillo slashed .282/.342/.446 with three doubles, five home runs and 16 RBIs in 29 games at Double-A Altoona and .278/.414/.500 with three doubles, three homers and seven RBIs in 18 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, impressing the Pirates enough to add him to their 40-man roster last November.
With a sensational spring training where he led the Pirates in batting (.371), home runs (six) and RBIs (12), Castillo earned a spot on the Opening Day roster. When Ke’Bryan Hayes left in the first inning of the opener, Castillo replaced him at third base but went 0 for 3.
In the 6-2 loss to the Cardinals on Saturday, Castillo pinch hit for second baseman Josh VanMeter with two outs and Yoshi Tsutsugo on first in the seventh inning and recorded his name in the MLB annals.
“It’s a good sign. Anytime you check a box off, it’s a sigh of relief,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “But to come in and get the pinch-hit double and get it off. We saw all spring how well he swung the bat but when you get your first major league hit and you check that off, it definitely lets you breathe a little easier and I think we’ll see good at-bats from here on out.”
Castillo got the ball as a memento, though it’s not one he plans to keep. Instead, he will give it to his mother, who couldn’t get a visa in time to make the trip to see her son play.
“Nobody deserves it more than her,” Castillo said.