Castro a quick study at 3rd base

Biggest adjustment for infielder is playing the hot corner sans cup

MIAMI — Less than a week into his new role, Starlin Castro is adapting well at third base.

Moved from his usual spot at second to make room for highly touted prospect Isan Diaz, Castro hasn’t missed a beat at the hot corner. In five starts at third, the 29-year-old veteran has made a fairly seamless transition despite never playing the position before in the majors.

Castro began taking grounders before last Saturday’s game versus the Tampa Bay Rays. Following Diaz’s call-up two days later, Castro made his hot corner debut versus the New York Mets. Miami Marlins manager Don Mattingly said he’s been impressed by the 11-year veteran, adding that infield coach Trey Hillman has been working with him on the switch.

Castro has also received strong reviews from bench coach Tim Wallach, who played 2,054 career games at third.

“Wally played his career at third and really likes [Castro] over there,” Mattingly said. “After Day 2, he was like, ‘This guy’s got great actions at third and felt like he had a chance to be really good over there.”

While Castro has spent his entire Marlins career at second, playing a different position isn’t an entirely new concept. Starting his career with the Chicago Cubs, he played 847 games at shortstop during his first six major league seasons.

Helping matters is also the fact he’s lined up on the left side of the infield, giving him a better read on hitters.

The biggest adjustment? Not something you’d expect.

“I think I’m still a little bit scared, because if the ball hit me — I never wear a cup,” Castro said. “Over [at third], I have to wear one, but still I don’t wear it yet. So, sometimes I’m a little bit scared.”

As baseball continues to evolve, defensive flexibility has become more and more valuable. Outside of catchers, eight of the 10 position players on the Marlins’ 25-man roster have lined up at multiple spots this season.

“These guys are baseball players,” Mattingly said. “You look at Star (Castro) as a baseball player who understands what’s going on on the field; the number of outs, when we’re going to play certain spots and then just the experience.

“It’s what we did as kids — we played all over the place. Nobody came up as, ‘You are a shortstop.’ You’re playing short, you’re playing third, you’re playing the outfield, you’re pitching. Guys play all over the place and I think that’s kind of the beauty of being a baseball player.”

In addition to his defense, Castro has experienced a complete 180 at the plate. Through the first 82 games, he hit just .230/.258/.313 with a 50 wRC+. His -1.2 WAR during that stretch was the worst among all qualified MLB players.

Since July, however, Castro has been red hot. In his past 34 games, the infielder is hitting .321/.343/.537 with a 130 wRC+. His 1.0 WAR over the past six weeks has been the 22nd-best mark among National League players.

In the final year of his contract, Castro, who’s making just under $12 million, is batting .257/.282/.378 (73 wRC+) with 11 home runs, 17 doubles, three triples and 53 RBI. Acquired from the New York Yankees in the Giancarlo Stanton trade, Castro has a $16 million team option for next season, but the team isn’t expected to pick it up. The Marlins would have to pay a $1 million buyout for the final year of the contract.