Starlin Castro began working out at second base before yesterday’s game as he adjusts to his new role as something akin to a utility player, and it didn’t take much work to know that he was ready apparently. That’s because, when Joe Maddon went to his now usual 6th/7th-inning defensive sub for Chris Coghlan at second base, it was Castro who got the call.
Castro looked relatively comfortable at his new position (he did play there some in the minors), and made an incredible catch in the 9th inning:
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/631305426416447488
You can see the full video there in that link with a handful of replays. Going into the bullpen like that makes for a really difficult catch, and the angle is totally different than Castro is used to. But he’s always been excellent at tracking pop ups, and he showed off that natural ability once again.
Joe Maddon discussed Castro and his work at other positions after the game:
Your browser does not support iframes.
If Castro’s glove looks good at second, he could wind up a huge help down the stretch, starting there against lefties, and filling in late as a defensive sub.