PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks could use some juice in a lineup that has started the season slowly, and Adrian Del Castillo, who is fresh off the injured list, will be tasked with providing thump in the middle of the order.
Del Castillo returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing the first week of the season and all of spring training with a calf strain.
With Pavin Smith and Jordan Lawlar having suffered early-season injuries and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. expected to return either in late April or May, the lineup has depth concerns after the top four.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Del Castillo will step into the five-spot against righties as a designated hitter, batting behind catcher Gabriel Moreno. While the D-backs have to figure out left field with Lawlar on the mend with a broken wrist, Del Castillo naturally fits into Smith’s primary role.
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Del Castillo went 0-for-3 in his season debut on Saturday and was out of Sunday’s lineup against a left-handed starter. The D-backs will see two tough right-handed starters in their next series at the New York Mets: Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean.
“I think when he plays, I’m gonna stick him in the middle of the lineup,” Lovullo said Friday. “We need some part of that lineup in the middle to hold down the fort. Not that the other guys haven’t, or they can’t, or they won’t. It’s just for right now, that’s what I want to see. If Gabi were to hit fourth, I think Del fits that spot really well for us.”
Lovullo said Del Castillo is not being barred from catching and could log some innings behind the plate, but he is third on the depth chart behind Moreno and James McCann.
His bat is much more important right now.
Del Castillo played two rehab games for Triple-A Reno to prepare for his return, but he was frequently on the backfields of Salt River Fields to get the at-bats he needed, many times alongside Gurriel and Corbin Carroll.
“I was almost a regular back there, just stealing at-bats from a couple minor leaguers, which I felt bad about, but I needed to get ready, and they understood that,” Del Castillo told Arizona Sports on Saturday. “I’ve been at it for probably like three, four weeks, getting my at-bats and catching, too.”
Del Castillo made a name for himself when he came up in 2024, hitting a grand slam in his hometown of Miami and a walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in his home debut. He slugged .525 in 25 games to jump up prospect lists, showing a power potential that’s not too common for catchers.
Injuries limited his availability last season, although he received regular at-bats against righties after the All-Star break.
He finished the year relatively well with a .784 OPS in his final 25 games, albeit with too many strikeouts.
“I think last year towards the end I started to pick it up … especially when we were having a little bit of a run there towards the playoffs,” Del Castillo told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo during spring training. “I got hurt last year, which kind of threw me off a little bit of rhythm. But once I got back and I got a couple more at-bats, I think I started to get in a little groove.”
Del Castillo said beyond rehabbing and getting his body ready, he has been focused on improving putting the ball in play with two strikes. The 26-year-old sports a 34% strikeout rate in the major leagues so far, which is 12% higher than league average.
The Diamondbacks have a top of the order built well to hit righties with switch-hitters Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo and lefty Corbin Carroll. There is not much power from the left side among the healthy position players after them, which gives Del Castillo a key opportunity to re-establish himself in a position of need as the D-backs figure out how they will generate offense early in the season.
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