Arizona Diamondbacks rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo is set to play his first pro game in his hometown of Miami on Monday. Del Castillo, a former Miami Hurricanes star who made his MLB debut Aug. 7, has taken over the starting job after Gabriel Moreno was placed on the injured list because of a left groin injury earlier this month.
Del Castillo is expected to be in the lineup when the Diamondbacks visit the Miami Marlins to begin a three-game series Monday. Del Castillo made an immediate impact, helping Arizona win in his first six big-league appearances. He hit an RBI double in his first major league at-bat.
In his second MLB game, Del Castillo hit a walk-off homer. He became the first Diamondbacks player to hit a walk-off homer for his first big-league blast. A Diamondbacks second-round pick in 2021, Del Castillo hit .
319 with 24 homers, 86 runs and 70 RBIs in 100 games at Triple-A this year. In his first three games for Arizona, Del Castillo went 7-for-12 with two doubles, one homer and five RBIs. Del Castillo has been working with a pitching staff that includes three former Marlins: starter Zac Gallen and relievers A.
J. Puk and Dylan Floro. Neither team has announced a starting pitcher for the series opener.
The Diamondbacks rank 25th in the majors with a 4.46 ERA, three spots ahead of the Marlins (4.59).
Miami's bullpen ranks 15th in ERA (3.92), while Arizona's comes in tied for 19th (4.14).
Offensively, the Diamondbacks have a big advantage. They lead the majors with.