Castro (foot, knee) will not return in 2026

DENVER – Rockies switch-hitting utility man Willi Castro, who set a career high with 15 home runs and batted .260 in 120 games, said on Wednesday that left foot and right knee injuries have ended his season.

Castro, 29, was placed on the injured list on Sept. 5 with left heel inflammation. But tendinitis in his right knee – an on-again, off-again problem through this season and dating back to last year when he fouled a ball off the knee while with the Twins – is the bigger issue, he said after the Rockies’ 9-3 loss to the Padres at Coors Field.

The plan was for Castro to return Tuesday – the day he was eligible – but his injuries did not respond well after running drills during the team’s weekend series at Detroit. He said the foot is healing, but the knee will require an anti-inflammatory shot, then he can work toward a return.

“I was trying to make it back, but I didn’t think it was improving – it was the same pain,” said Castro, who signed a two-year, $12.8 million contract before this season and is due $6.4 million in 2027.

The Rockies saw Castro as an important piece in a rebuilding program – a veteran who could play multiple positions and give manager Warren Schaeffer’s lineup and bench a switch-hitting option. Castro was seeking regular playing time. He slashed .245/.335/.407 in 86 games with the Twins last season, but was traded to the Cubs, who put him in a part-time role. He slashed .170/.245/.240 in 34 games.

In greater playing time with the Rockies, Castro batted throughout the order (.333 average in 18 games/17 starts as a leadoff man before Jake McCarthy grabbed that job), and his 56 RBIs were second only to his 60 with the Twins during his All-Star year of 2024.

Defensively, Castro played mostly in the infield, with the bulk of his action at second base (73 games, 51 starts) and third base (47 games, 36 starts). Second-year man Kyle Karros, who homered Wednesday night, is the starter at third when healthy. Switch-hitting September callup Adael Amador and Trade Deadline acquisition (from the Marlins) Connor Norby, a right-handed hitter, are sharing second base in the late stages of this season.

As long as Castro maintains the swing and approach of this season, there will be starts and matchup chances for him.

“It was getting out of slumps quickly – making the adjustment was the thing that improved for me this year,” Castro said. “I’ve got to keep doing that and take it into next year. Hopefully, I’ll be able to play the whole season healthy.”

Like last year, Castro was a subject of Trade Deadline speculation this summer and acknowledged that he expected to be dealt to a contender, as he was last year. But he held his performance, and improved his slugging percentage as the year progressed – .378 in the first half, .496 after the All-Star break.

“I’ll be able to play any position as long as I’m healthy,” Castro said. “I’ll get the job done.”