Pirates SS Rodolfo Castro remains confident while learning hard lessons in majors

Rodolfo Castro was right where he wanted to be to celebrate his 23rd birthday Saturday, playing his favorite position in the major leagues and hoping to prove he’s a fast learner.

The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie started at shortstop for the eighth time in nine games Saturday night, a day after a difficult lesson proved costly against the St. Louis Cardinals.

If Pirates manager Derek Shelton has noticed a difference in Castro from his 31-game stint last season to the small sample size this year, it’s in how he carries himself. That’s especially true in the field, where Castro is filling in while Gold Glove finalist Kevin Newman recovers from a groin strain that landed him on the 10-day injured list April 27.

“Defensively is where it really stands out. Just more confident in how he’s moving and what he’s doing,” Shelton said of Castro. “Offensively, he’s still finding his way and will find his way with more major league at-bats. Definitely you’ll see him being more confident.”

Castro realized the fine line between confidence and carelessness in the 5-3 loss to the Cardinals on Friday night at PNC Park, when his mistake on the bases was magnified. It started well when Castro hit a two-out single in the fifth and stole second base. Then Ben Gamel won a battle with Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright for an eight-pitch walk. Ke’Bryan Hayes had worked a 2-0 count when Castro tried to steal third base.

It was a test of a pair of nine-time Gold Glove winners, and catcher Yadier Molina gunned a throw to third baseman Nolan Arenado to get Castro out to end the inning. As much as Shelton credited Castro for being a “young player trying to make an aggressive move,” the Pirates manager acknowledged that it was too aggressive.

“The biggest thing that I learned was that, no matter the situation that I was observing and seeing, I’ve got to remain true to the game,” Castro told the Tribune-Review on Saturday through translator Mike Gonzalez. “I need to remember who’s hitting. I need to remember who’s at bat. I saw some things in the game that I felt I had a chance, but I need to be calm. I’m in scoring position, and I also have to remember who’s up there to bat — a very important hitter — and I can’t rob him of that at-bat.”

Shelton pointed out the situation to Castro but didn’t dwell on the mistake, mostly because he didn’t want Castro to lose his focus. Castro made a play on a Paul Goldschmidt grounder up the middle to start the sixth. In his next at-bat, Castro reached on a throwing error by Arenado to lead off the eighth inning and started a two-run rally when he scored on a bases-loaded single by Bryan Reynolds.

“The one thing that I give Rudy credit for is a lot of kids that happens to and they don’t bounce back,” Shelton said. “It affects the rest of the game. … He didn’t let it affect the rest of the game. Like we’ve talked about with young players, we’re going to see mistakes at times. It’s our job to talk and teach and continue to develop.”

After playing 31 games with the Pirates last season — where he made MLB history by having his first five hits go for home runs — Castro made a concerted effort in the offseason to change his mindset by “allowing everything to be in God’s hands.”

Castro is focusing on what he can control and not overdoing things. His greatest challenge is coming at the plate, where he was batting .200 (5 for 25) with seven strikeouts and two walks. He went 2 for 3 with a run scored in a 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on May 14, then made a pivotal play in the 1-0 win the following day. With the Reds throwing a no-hitter, Castro drew a one-out walk in the eighth inning and scored the winning run on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice by Hayes.

That’s an experience from which Castro should draw upon as he learns lessons while he’s in the majors.

“This is a hard game. It’s a fast game. Everyone here is continuing to learn,” Castro said. “For me, these are growth experiences, these are learning experiences. If I allow a bad decision or a mistake or an error to drain me and consume my mind, then I’ve lost my whole game.

“That’s something that I’m not only aware of but trying to be wise with. If I messed up this play or if I could have made a better decision in that situation, that’s fine. I grow from it and I learn from it, but I don’t let it consume me or drain me. I know there’s still more baseball to play. My mindset is to come out here and give my 100%. That’s key for me and my career but also for my team.”