Pirates A to Z: Rodolfo Castro improved play after lessons with demotion, call-up incidents

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z: An alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster, from outfielder Miguel Andujar to pitcher Miguel Yajure.

Player: Rodolfo Castro

Positions: Second base/shortstop/third base

Bats: Switch

Throws: Right

Age: 23 (May 21)

Height: 6 foot

Weight: 205 pounds

2022 MLB statistics: Slashed .233/.299/.427 with eight doubles, four triples, 11 home runs and 27 RBIs in 71 games.

Contract: Not yet eligible for arbitration.

Acquired: Signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in October 2015.

This past season: Castro might be best remembered for two plays, one that prompted a demotion and another that got a call-up.

His failure to run out a pop fly that the Arizona Diamondbacks let drop for a double play June 5 got Castro optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis, an effort Pirates manager Derek Shelton called “not acceptable.”

That wasn’t the only reason for his demotion, as Castro was batting .197 (14 for 71) in 21 games and showed his inexperience by committing five errors in 19 games at shortstop. Four days earlier, he had a heroic performance with a home run and four RBIs in an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch a three-game sweep on June 1.

“This is a kid with high energy that we like, and I think is going to be a really good major-league player for us,” Shelton said. “That (pop fly play) was an outlier. That was very uncharacteristic. This is a kid that plays with a ton of energy, plays hard all the time. I think he had a bad moment. So you know, it’s something we talked about and we moved on from, because that’s not Rudy Castro.”

When Castro returned two months later, the Pirates believed he had moved on from his mistakes. The Pirates wanted to send a message that his lack of hustle was unacceptable, and Shelton praised Castro’s work ethic at Triple-A Indianapolis that earned a recall.

“It’s something he’s learned from,” Shelton said, “and we look forward to him providing the energy that we’ve seen previously.”

This is a first... Rodolfo Castro's phone fell out of his pocket in the middle of the game ???? pic.twitter.com/qaPd34qroF

— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) August 10, 2022

Castro’s effort wasn’t the issue when he went viral in his first game back after his phone popped out of his back pocket. Castro dashed from first to third on an Oneil Cruz single to center. When he stood up on the bag, third base umpire Adam Hamari pointed to the phone on the infield dirt. Castro handed it to Pirates third-base coach Mike Rabelo.

MLB suspended Castro for one game, which he appealed so he could share his side of the story that it was merely a lapse in judgment. ESPN reported that an MLB review showed that Castro had no phone activity during the game, eliminating any chances of cheating.

“In all reality, I was a little bit surprised, especially because at the end of the day, I’m human. I made a mistake. I take ownership of my mistake,” Castro said through team translator Mike Gonzalez. “I do respect the decision MLB made, but this is something, like I mentioned before, that was definitely not intentional and not purposeful. It was a mistake.”

Rodolfo Castro's reactions to his great plays are as great as the play themselves imo pic.twitter.com/vKgyjqmnva

— Justice delos Santos (@justdelossantos) May 24, 2022

The future: Lost in all the commotion was Castro’s improved play over the final two months of the season.

Not only did he provide infectious energy but Castro slashed .247/.310/.478 with six doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 23 RBIs over the final 50 games. He homered six times over the final 31 games, including one against New York Yankees All-Star reliever Clay Holmes.

Rodolfo Castro pimped the hell out of this homer pic.twitter.com/CQicRfudle

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 21, 2022

More important, Castro showed that he could be a future double-play partner for Cruz at second base. The Dominicans had a natural rapport, though both will require improvement in the field. Castro committed 13 errors in 75 games, including five in 32 games at second base and three in 24 at third base.

If nothing else, Castro’s versatility and the pop in his bat makes him a candidate for an infield utility position, though he will have competition from the likes of Ji Hwan Bae, Diego Castillo and Tucupita Marcano.

Where Castro’s confidence is contagious in the clubhouse and dugout, the season should have taught him that he still has a long way to go in terms of maturity. He admitted as much after learning a hard lesson early in the season against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he killed a rally by being thrown out while attempting to steal third.

“This is a hard game. It’s a fast game. Everyone here is continuing to learn. For me, these are growth experiences, these are learning experiences,” Castro said. “If I allow a bad decision or a mistake or an error to drain me and consume my mind, then I’ve lost my whole game.

“That’s something that I’m not only aware of but trying to be wise with. If I messed up this play or if I could have made a better decision in that situation, that’s fine. I grow from it and I learn from it but I don’t let it consume me or drain me. I know there’s still more baseball to play. My mindset is to come out here and give my 100%. That’s key for me and my career but also for my team.”