Phillies infielder Rodolfo Castro, currently assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn ligament in his right thumb, as reported by Matt Gelb of The Athletic (via X). This injury, though minor in the context of Philadelphia’s infield depth, sidelines Castro, who hasn’t appeared for the Phillies this season and has spent most of the year on the minor league injured list. The 25-year-old, a switch-hitter with defensive versatility, has struggled in 23 minor league games and didn’t make a significant impact in 14 MLB appearances with the Phillies last year.
Castro, who played 180 games over three seasons with the Pirates, was acquired by Philadelphia in a one-for-one trade for left-hander Bailey Falter at the 2023 deadline. While Falter has been a solid back-end starter for the Pirates with a 4.02 ERA in 21 appearances, the trade has clearly favored Pittsburgh.
The Phillies might consider recalling Castro and placing him on the major league 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot, or they could release him to free up space. Since this is Castro’s final minor league option year, the Phillies will need to decide whether to keep him on next year’s MLB roster or place him on waivers. His roster spot is uncertain for the offseason, even if he remains with the organization for the rest of the year.