When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres, Rodolfo Castro was torn over losing a teammate but thrilled for the opportunity that awaited him.

After hitting back-to-back home runs in a 6-5 comeback win over the New York on July 11, Castro was the obvious choice to replace Frazier. So it was no surprise when the 22-year-old infielder was recalled from Double-A Altoona and started at second base Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park.

“That’s always a glory story for me,” Castro said before the game through team translator Mike Gonzalez. “That’s what I’ve been working hard for, that’s what I’ve been putting a lot of sacrifices for. So when I got the news that I was going to be activated and starting at second base, that was huge to me. That meant a lot to me.”

Despite being pegged as a utility player, Castro asserted he “very comfortable” at second base. He took early practice reps with his teammates before the game and believes he can become an effective double-play partner for shortstop Kevin Newman.

“Believe it or not … every time I envisioned being in the big leagues, I was picturing me playing second base,” Castro said, “especially because I would grow up watching a lot of these great Dominican ballplayers at second base, one of them being Robinson Cano. It pushed me a lot. It motivated me a lot.”

Castro has hit well in Double-A, batting .300/.349/.527 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 41 RBIs in 53 games with the Curve, but he has proven his bat belongs in the majors. He made his major-league debut April 21 at Detroit, starting at third base in place of the injured Ke’Bryan Hayes, and returned with a bang before the All-Star break by hitting three home runs for four RBIs against the Mets.

“At the beginning of this year, he was a big leaguer,” Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes said. “He has a really good swing for a switch hitter, plays solid defense and has a good feel for the game. The little time he’s already been up, you can see the power. It’s there. It’s going to be fun to see what he can do in the next few weeks.”

Castro said he learned a lot from Frazier in their short time together, especially how he carried himself.

“I always had my eyes on him. Even when I came up to the big leagues, I would watch everything that he did,” Castro said. “One of the biggest things I took from Adam was just his confidence. He’s a guy that doesn’t overpressure himself, doesn’t let the game speed up on him. Even if something doesn’t turn out his way, he just maintains his pace and his calmness. He’s confident that he’s going to get that guy in the next at-bat or next situation. He’s always been a confident guy, very chill, very just calm and confident in his preparation and routine. When he comes out here, you see his confident show out.”

The Pirates are counting on Castro’s confidence to show at the plate and in the field, where Pirates manager Derek Shelton said he is expected to see plenty of action at second base for the foreseeable future. The Pirates love Castro’s versatility to play multiple positions, but they want to get him as many at-bats as possible through Friday’s trade deadline.

“I think he’s going to be a very good major-league infielder,” Shelton said. “I don’t know if it’s going to be at second or at third or where it’s going to be, but we see a bright future for him.”

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