Diego Castillo...youngest of 10 siblings...has six brothers and three sisters...has a daughter, Diannelys...Resides in Cabrera, D.R. during the offseason...Known to cook for his teammates...learned to cook at 10 years old watching his mother in the kitchen.
2024
Posted a 2.70 ERA (10.0 IP, 3 ER) in his seven relief appearances with the Twins...Signed by Texas to a Minor League contract with an invite to Spring Training...made eight Spring Training appearances before being released on March 27...Signed a Minor League contract with the Twins on March 29...scoreless in five of his seven appearances in the Majors for the Twins...three of his appearances were at least two innings...Spent a majority of his season with Triple-A St. Paul, recording eight saves in 12 opportunities across his 40 outings for the Saints...Allowed an earned run in just three of his first 20 appearances (20.0 IP) with St. Paul for a 2.25 ERA during that span...posted a 9.53 ERA (17.0 IP, 18 ER) in his final 20 appearances with the Saints.
2023
Castillo was on Seattle’s Opening Day roster for the 2nd consecutive season…was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on 4/29 after pitching to a 6.23 ERA (6 ER/8.2 IP) and allowing runs in four of his first eight MLB appearances to start the year…spent the remainder of the season with the Rainiers, going 5-5 with a 5.13 ERA (27 ER/47.1 IP) with 50 SO/35 BB across 43 games/1 start…permitted just one earned run in his final 13.2 IP of the season (0.66 ERA), spanning 14 relief appearances from 8/11-9/24 to lower his Triple-A ERA from 6.95 to 5.13…was on the Dominican Republic’s roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic and did not allow a run in 2.2 innings of play…made a pair of relief appearances for Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League, allowing one earned run in 2.0 innings.
2023
Spent a majority of the season with Triple-A Reno; optioned to the Aces during Spring Training on 3/19 and was recalled by Arizona for one day on 7/31 before being optioned back on 8/1...Went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter on 7/31 at SF in his only big league appearance of the year...Slashed .313/.431/.410 (142-for-454) with 33 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 94 runs scored, 72 RBI, 97 walks and 13 stolen bases in 124 games with Reno...Named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star...Led the Pacific Coast League in walks and ranked among the league leaders in doubles (T-2nd), batting average (fourth), on-base percentage (fourth), and hits (fifth)...Set a professional career high with five hits on Opening Day 3/31 vs. Las Vegas (5-for-5, 2B, 3 R, RBI)...Hit safely in his first 15 games of the year through 4/22; also recorded a hit in 12 straight games from 6/4-21...Scored a run in a career-high 13 straight games from 6/17 to 7/5...Collected his first professional multi-homer game on 7/7 vs. Tacoma...Designated for assignment on 12/22.
2022
Went 7-3 with seven saves and a 3.64 ERA (22 ER, 54.1 IP) with 22 walks and 53 strikeouts in 59 games out of the Seattle bullpen Slide Piece – Threw his slider 63.3 percent of the time, limiting opponents to a .173 batting average (23x133) on the pitch...Limited opponents to an average exit velocity of 86.4 mph and a hard-hit percentage of 30.6, which ranked in the 90th and 95th percentiles according to Baseball Savant, respectively....From May 23 through the end of the season, posted a 1.96 ERA (9 ER, 41.1 IP) over 43 appearances with five saves, 14 walks and 41 strikeouts....Placed on the 15-day Injured List on July 28 (retroactive July 26) with right shoulder inflammation made a rehab appearance with High-A Everett and was reinstated from the 15-day IL on Aug. 10.
2021
Went 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA (7 ER, 22.0 IP) with 26 strikeouts, seven walks and two saves in 24 games with the Mariners...was 5-5 with 16 saves and a 2.78 ERA (18 ER, 58.1 IP) in 61 games overall between Tampa Bay and Seattle.... Acquired from Tampa Bay on July 29 in exchange for RHP JT Chargois and minor league INF Austin Shenton...Made first appearance on 7/30, tossing a perfect 9th inning in 9-5 Mariners win at Texas....Struck out the side in the 8th inning of a Mariners 8-5 win at Houston... W #4, his 2nd w/SEA, with 1-2-3 7th (2 K) vs. BOS 9/13....Did not allow a run in 17 of his 24 appearances with the Mariners, including recording strikeouts in 16 of 24 outings....Spent time on the 10-day Injured List from Aug. 21-Sept. 3 with right shoulder inflammation...sent on rehab assignment with the ACL Mariners on Sept. 2....Had 133 swing-and-misses on his slider, the most swing-and-misses on sliders among relievers in the Majors.
2020
Yielded only 4 runs in 22 apps spanning 21.2 IP in his second full season…all but three of his outings were scoreless, including his first 9 apps and last 6 apps ... All 4 runs allowed were on homers…yielded 2-run homers to NYY Gio Urshela (1 run charged to Trevor Richards) and TOR Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and a solo homer to NYY Clint Frazier ... Opponents hit .156 (12-for-77) against him, 10th among AL relievers...Held opponents to 1 hit in 17 AB with RISP...Entered with the Rays tied or ahead in 20 of his 22 apps…his 4 saves ranked 2nd on the team behind Nick Anderson (6)...Averaged 14.8 pitches per inning, down from 16.3 in 2019 and 15.8 in 2018…min. 20 IP, his groundball rate of 58.5 pct. ranked 9th in the AL...Originally was named to his second straight Opening Day roster but was placed on the paternity list prior to first pitch…was on the paternity list from July 24-26 for the birth of his daughter, Diannelys...On Aug 26 vs. BAL, pitched a perfect 9th inning for the save, becoming the 10th Ray with one...On Sep 17 at BAL (G1), was the only reliever used in the 3-1 win…threw a season-high 34 pitches and yielded a career-high-tying 3 BB…allowed an inherited runner to score in the 6th inning and got out of a 2-on, 2-out jam in the 7th.
POSTSEASON: Went 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA (11-IP, 2-ER) in 10 apps…tied Pete Fairbanks for the team lead with 3 saves…his first run allowed was in Game 6 of the ALCS at HOU, ending a stretch of 10 scoreless apps to start his postseason career...In Game 5 of the ALDS vs. NYY, pitched around a 2-out walk to Aaron Judge in the 8th inning and pitched a perfect 9th, including strikeouts of Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit…got the win after Mike Brosseau’s solo homer in the 8th...In Game 1 of the ALCS vs. HOU, inherited the bases loaded in the 8th inning and got a double play grounder on his first pitch…pitched around a 1-out single in the 9th, including a José Altuve strikeout for his first career postseason save... In Game 2 of the World Series at LAD, struck out Chris Taylor on 3 pitches for the save…marked the first time in major league history a pitcher entered with the bases empty, faced one batter and recorded a save in a World Series game.
2019
Made 65 apps including 6 starts as an opener… after returning from his June 23-July 11 stint on the 10-day IL for right shoulder inflammation, went 4-2 with a 2.88 ERA (34.1-IP, 11-ER) in 32 apps (6 starts)…went 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA (14.2-IP, 2-ER) in 12 apps in September...Ranked 2nd on the team with 8 saves, behind Emilio Pagán (20)…seven of those came before the All-Star break...Suffered 8 losses, including seven in relief, tied for 5th-most among major league relievers and tied for 2nd-most in the AL...His average fastball velocity, according to FanGraphs, was 98.3 mph…his hardest-thrown pitch, according to StatCast, was 100.7 mph...Made his first Opening Day roster…did not allow an earned run in his first 9 apps spanning 10 IP, with 3 hits, 3 BB and 10 SO over that span...On March 31 vs. HOU, recorded his first career save in the Rays fourth game...On April 19 vs. BOS, yielded back-to-back homers to Mookie Betts and Mitch Moreland to start the 8th inning, the first time in his career he allowed multiple homers in an outing…was the third time in franchise history a pitcher faced multiple batters and allowed homers to every batter faced, following Chris Archer on Sep 2, 2017 at CWS (2 BF, removed due to injury) and Alex Colomé on Aug 26, 2016 at HOU (2 BF, including a walk-off homer)...On May 31 vs. MIN, inherited 1-on, 2-out in the 8th inning and retired Miguel Sanó to end the frame…loaded the bases without allowing a hit (HBP, IBB, HBP) in the 9th inning and took the loss when Adam Kolarek allowed a 2-run single…was the first time in his career he hit multiple batters in an outing...On June 20 at OAK, yielded a career-high 4 runs, including a 3-run, walk-off homer to Matt Chapman for a blown save…walked the No. 6 and No. 8 hitters to put 2-on, 2-out for the top of the order…it was the first time in his career he was on the mound for a walk-off loss.
2018
Recalled from Triple-A Durham on June 5, his first career major league action, and remained with the Rays through the end of the season… his 43 apps ranked 8th among AL rookies and 5th after the date of his call up...Min. 50 IP, his .178 opp avg. (36-for-202) led the AL…it was the best mark by an AL rookie since NYY Dellin Betances (.149) in 2014...Made 32 relief apps and 11 starts as an opener… he and Ryne Stanek became the first pair of rookie teammates in major league history to each make at least 10 starts and 30 relief apps...His avg. fastball velocity was 97.7 mph, according to StatCast, and his max velocity was 101.9 mph in his start on Sep 19 at TEX....His 11 starts all came over his final 14 outings, and the Rays went 9-2 in those starts…seven of his last 8 apps came as an opener…recorded a 2.65 ERA (17-IP, 5-ER) with 2 BB and 21 SO as a starter…posted a 3.40 ERA (39.2-IP, 15-ER) with 16 BB and 44 SO as a reliever...Recorded multiple strikeouts in the first 5 apps of his career, all as a reliever, the first reliever to do that since LAD Grant Dayton in 2016 and first in the AL since TEX Neftalí Feliz in 2009, according to Baseball Reference…is the only Rays reliever to ever begin his career in this fashion...On June 6 at WAS, made his major league debut and pitched a perfect 7th inning, including strikeouts of Brian Goodwin and Trea Turner...On June 13 vs. TOR, recorded his first career win in his fourth career app…his only baserunner allowed in 2 IP was a 8th-inning, 2-out single...On July 1 vs. HOU, inherited the bases loaded with 1 out in the 8th inning…struck out José Altuve on a 10-pitch at-bat and got a groundout for the third out…the Rays held on to win, 3-2...On Aug 19 at BOS, made his first career start and did not allow a run in 1.2 IP…in 14 apps (11 starts) from the date of his first start through the end of the season, he threw 50 pitches clocked at 100 mph or more…did this only once in his first 29 apps of the season...The Rays won his first 6 starts, the second time they won the first 6 starts of a pitcher's Rays career, joining Tanyon Sturtze (7-0) in 2000-01...Recorded a 1.72 ERA (15.2-IP, 3-ER) in 10 apps (8 starts) in September…from Aug 8 through season's end, went 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA (27.2-IP, 6-ER) in 18 apps (11 starts)...Named the Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May…did not allow a run in 10 apps spanning 14.2 IP, with 0 BB and 18 SO.
2017
Split the season between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham, earning a June 3 promotion…marked the third straight year he received an in-season promotion…combined to go 4-5 with a 2.76 ERA (71.2-IP, 22-ER) and 15 saves in 51 apps (1 start) between the two levels...Named Minor League Reliever of the Year by the Rays Baseball Operations department…led the Rays system in saves (15) for a second consecutive year.... His 2.76 ERA was a career low…his 4 wins, 51 apps, 15 saves, 71.2 IP and 90 SO were all career highs, as were his 11.30 SO/9 IP and 4.50 SO/BB ratios... Recorded the save in the Governors' Cupclinching win over Scranton/WilkesBarre (Yankees) and the Triple-A National Championship Game over Memphis (Cardinals)… did not allow a run in 4 apps in the IL postseason spanning 5 IP (1-H, 0-BB, 8-SO).... Made one relief app for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League... Named to the Rays Organizational All-Star Team by MLB.com... Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in the Rays system following the season… the publication noted he has touched 101 mph with his fastball.
