Castellanos off to strong start -- and having fun -- at totally new position

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Playing his first game at first base, Nick Castellanos hadn’t gotten much action through three innings on Friday afternoon. He was only slated for two at-bats -- and he’d taken both of them. But new Padres manager Craig Stammen asked for one more inning from Castellanos defensively.

Sure enough, the ball found him. Castellanos made a pair of smooth plays in the Padres’ Cactus League opener against the Mariners, including a diving stop to end the fourth inning.

Castellanos has never played a big league game at first base. That seems almost certain to change in San Diego. Since his arrival last weekend, Castellanos has been routinely taking extra work at his new position -- and it paid off on Friday.

“Yesterday was my first game there, and I’ve only had four innings,” Castellanos said. “But I love how I feel like I’m engaged in every play. In between pitches, anticipating pickoffs, having to cover bases, getting to interact with the baserunners. Honestly, I think for me, [who] probably has a little bit of ADD, it helps me stay focused.

“I find it fun. Again, I only have four innings. But I love all the work there.”

That’s good news for the Padres, who have a clear opening at first base. Gavin Sheets is the projected starter, so it’s possible Castellanos will see more time at DH. But if he proves himself defensively, he could start at first against left-handed pitching -- and perhaps even more regularly than that.

First base was always the clearest path to playing time for Castellanos in San Diego. He’d spent the past several seasons playing right field almost exclusively in Philadelphia. But the Padres are set in right field with Fernando Tatis Jr., while Ramón Laureano is slated to anchor left.

So … first base, then. Castellanos began his work there in December, even before he was released by the Phillies -- “the first time ever I had a first baseman’s glove,” he said. He spent time with former Padres first baseman (and Manny Machado’s brother-in-law) Yonder Alonso on practice fields in the Miami area.

“Just getting my relationship with the bag started,” was how Castellanos characterized it.

Upon his arrival at Padres camp, Castellanos got straight to work with Ryan Goins and Nick Punto, who head the team’s infield instruction.

“The more reps I get over there and the more familiar I become, the more natural it’s going to become,” Castellanos said.

Which is why he was in the starting lineup at first base on Day 1. Maybe Castellanos becomes the primary DH once the season starts. But in the Cactus League, the Padres want to get him as many reps as possible.

“Nick has really taken to it,” said Stammen. “And we saw some of the hard work that he’s been putting in pay off with those two plays.”

The first was more routine, a ground ball to Castellanos’ right. He ranged and fielded before flipping to reliever Wandy Peralta. The second was tricky, potentially ticketed for the hole between first and second before Castellanos’ sprawling play. He got to his feet quickly and completed the flip for the out.

“I was a shortstop my whole life growing up, and I have, what, 500 games at third base in the beginning of my career,” Castellanos said. “So my relationship with a ground ball is not starting from scratch. There’s already a foundation.”

Beyond that, however, there’s nuance at the position. That’s what Castellanos has been working on with Goins and Punto. He called the Padres’ instructors “amazing, an A+ group.”

The biggest wisdom they’ve imparted, Castellanos said, has been to let his athleticism do most of the work. Making plays around the bag can often feel rigid. Goins and Punto have emphasized they don’t want that to be the case.

Of course, Castellanos’ playing time will be predicated mostly on how much he hits. He went 0-for-1 with a walk in Friday’s opener. He also hit a booming double during a live session at Peoria Stadium two days prior. (His teammates went nuts.)

If Castellanos hits, there’s regular playing time available, whether at DH, first base or, as Stammen has said, in the outfield corners, when Tatis and Laureano get a day off.

Wherever he plays, it’ll be a distinctly different role than the one he held in Philadelphia. Castellanos says he’s just fine with that.

“I’m very happy to be a part of it,” he said. “However it is they need me.”