I often note that, because I’ve got a youngin’ who doesn’t sleep all that well, I go to bed pretty early when possible (and you often tell me to shut up about it). A Friday night game that ends at 10pm ET offers a perfect time for me to go to bed early. So I did, and I missed quite the explosion of rumors and concerns and theories and speculation about why the Cubs were suddenly expected to call up Welington Castillo, something that broke late last night.
A Geovany Soto injury? A trade? What could it be!?
Actually, it’s relatively mundane (though a bummer): Steve Clevenger has felt tightness in his side, and, rather than risk aggravating the injury, the Cubs are sending him to the DL, and calling up Welington Castillo to hold down the back-up catcher job in the interim.
Castillo, 25, raked in Spring Training like Clevenger, but lost out in the back-up battle for two primary reasons: (1) the Cubs wanted to see him play regularly at AAA, and (2) Clevenger bats left-handed. Clevenger has been great as a back-up, and Castillo has been hitting well at AAA. So, all was working well with the decision, I suppose. Now, hopefully Castillo will get a few starts in his 15-or-so days with the Cubs, and the Cubs can see what they have in him should they elect to trade Geovany Soto at some point later this year. I’m actually really looking forward to seeing Castillo get some games.