PHOENIX \u2014 With the way 2022 went, the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> desperately needed to improve their late-inning relief pitching. They weren\u2019t one player away, though \u2014 they needed several dependable pitchers. One player available was a veteran with \u201cstuff,\u201d but his time with his previous team ended unceremoniously \u2014 Miguel Castro<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n But the Diamondbacks were glad to have him. And despite his recent hiccups, his season in Arizona has gone well so far. In 27 1\/3 innings across 30 appearances, he has racked up seven saves in nine chances to the tune of a 1.207 WHIP. Of his 30 appearances, 24 have been scoreless \u2014 top ten in the NL \u2014 for a percentage of 80.0%. By comparison, the NL average is 69.1%.<\/p>\n The recent ten-game homestand saw a disappointing ending against the Atlanta Braves<\/a> on June 4, where Castro surrendered a two-out ninth-inning grand slam to lose the lead. But that doesn\u2019t change who he is or what his mindset is. \u201cHe\u2019s fearless. He loves the big moments,\u201d pitching coach Brent Strom<\/a><\/strong> said of Castro. \u201cWe\u2019ve put him in some situations where he\u2019s performed very, very well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a guy that\u2019s been around for a while and has had a lot of success,\u201d ace right-hander Zac Gallen<\/a><\/strong> said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to be able to hand him the ball in those later innings.\u201d<\/p>\n Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo<\/a><\/strong> said Castro\u2019s \u201cpreparation\u201d is \u201cone of the great qualities that nobody gets to see unless you’re around him every single day. He works as hard as anybody. And the game seems like it’s just the time where he’s executing and processing all the hard work that he’s put in, letting him come out at home plate. I think he’s been fantastic for us, but it comes with a lot of hard work.\u201d Lovullo added that his \u201csecondary stuff\u201d has been \u201cvery consistent since the first outing,\u201d adding that it comes from \u201ca lot of hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n Castro has almost exclusively been a setup man in his career, and that\u2019s what the Diamondbacks signed him to do. However, with their lack of a true closer, they have used him, along with Andrew Chafin<\/a><\/strong>, to be \u201cback-end guys.\u201d Lovullo usually switches between Castro and the left-handed Andrew Chafin to get the most favorable matchups late in games. This has been fine with Castro so far. \u201cHe just wants to get the ball and get big outs,\u201d Lovullo said. \u201cHe\u2019s as good as anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Castro had a fairly good but injury-plagued season with the New York Yankees<\/a> in 2022, putting up zeroes in 26 of his 34 appearances (76.4%). In the playoffs, Castro made two appearances, both in the ALCS. Against the eventual World Champion Houston Astros<\/a>, Castro pitched an inning each in Games One and Three. Both times, he sat the Astros down 1\u20132\u20133, but after the Astros swept the Yankees, Castro was one of the players the Yankees did not bring back.<\/p>\n So when the Diamondbacks came calling, Castro \u2014 who had let the season pass and was working hard for the next one \u2014 was excited about the \u201copportunity.\u201d Through team interpreter Alex Arpiza, Castro said, \u201cI knew if I came here that I was going to get the opportunity. I\u2019m thankful to God that I came here. I’ve been very comfortable. I\u2019m thankful for the manager. Torey has given me so much confidence, so much trust, and plenty of opportunity to be here, do my job, and have success.\u201d<\/p>\n The rest of the Diamondbacks love him as a teammate. To a man, everyone Sport Relay <\/em>asked has said how nice a guy Miguel Castro is. Kevin Ginkel<\/a><\/strong>, who is represented by the same agency as Castro, got to know him before Castro signed with the Diamondbacks. \u201cOne of the nicest guys I\u2019ve been around,\u201d Ginkel said. \u201cAlways has a smile on his face, always has a good attitude coming to the field.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAwesome guy,\u201d fellow back-end reliever Scott McGough<\/a><\/strong> said.<\/p>\n \u201cReally nice guy,\u201d Gallen said. \u201cComes in every day and says hello to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\nMiguel Castro on the Field<\/h3>\n
A New Start in Arizona<\/h3>\n
Miguel Castro the Teammate<\/h3>\n