Cubs' Castro looks ahead with optimism
MILWAUKEE — Despite his best efforts, there ended up being no baseball for Starlin Castro since early September.
“If we would be in the playoffs right now, I would play,” Castro said Saturday at Miller Park. “It doesn't make any sense to play one or two games. I'm feeling good already. Still working.
“I'll go back home for two weeks and then come back to Arizona to do my training and make sure I'm good and make sure I'm running 100 percent.”
Castro suffered a high-ankle sprain Sept. 2, when he slid awkwardly into home plate in a game at Wrigley Field against the Brewers. Although the team said then it was doubtful Castro could return before the season ended, he was allowed to push himself in the hope of being able to play at least a few games.
Although frustrated that he can't yet play, he seems at peace with that outcome and optimistic for next year.
“It's big-time frustrating,” he said. “It's tough for me because I worked so hard to come back, to come back for one game or two, but it's not going to happen. I don't want to frustrate myself. I'm just going to keep it up. It's a really important season next year and make sure I'm healthy.
“We see a lot of good things in here. Those kids, those guys we brought in here, we're together, we have communication. We can show people next year we can fight, we can play baseball for winning. I think we're pretty close.”
The Cubs ought to be heartened by such assertive talk from their 24-year-old shortstop. It no doubt stems from the bounce-back season he enjoyed at the plate.
After putting up a disappointing batting line of .245/284/.347 in 161 games last year, Castro played in 134 this season, going .292/.339/.438 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI. The 14 homers tied his career high, and no doubt he would have surpassed that with a full season.
Castro also seemed to shed the label of being a player who suffers mental lapses in the field. First-year manager Rick Renteria said he learned some things about Castro.
“I think he's grown up, obviously,” Renteria said. “He took a lot upon himself. I think as the season progressed, he was certainly more accountable to himself and his teammates. He worked very, very hard to overcome a lot of real and/or perceived deficits in his game.
“He also became, as far as I could tell in my observations, a much better teammate. I think everybody did start gravitating to him. I think he ended up reacquainting himself with his teammates in a good way.
“I think it's been a positive season for him. Unfortunately, for the injury, it kind of set him behind a little bit.”
One of the reasons Renteria was hired in the first place was to provide a more upbeat environment for Castro and first baseman Anthony Rizzo, both of whom took a step backward last year under the more tough-love approach of then-manager Dale Sveum.
However, Renteria said he entered with no preconceived notions about Castro.
“I didn't and I don't usually come into any situation with any preconceived idea,” he said. “I think I've learned over time that you can take all the things that people say about others, and there's a danger of defining who they are before you get a chance to get to know them yourself.
“I try to not do that. I try to make sure I always give everybody the benefit of the doubt.”
bmiles@dailyherald.com