ATLANTA -- Braves middle infielder Daniel Castro provided new meaning to "use both hands" when he channeled his inner Andrelton Simmons and produced a jaw-dropping catch during the fourth inning of Tuesday night's 11-4 loss to the Red Sox at Turner Field.
While manning second base with a runner on first and one out, Castro raced into shallow right field in pursuit of Mookie Betts' popup, extended his left arm and then watched the ball bounce off his glove into his bare right hand as he slid across the outfield grass on his backside. The alert middle infielder then quickly threw to first base to complete an inning-ending double play at the expense of David Price, who had run toward second base with the assumption the ball would drop.
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"The second I saw the ball off the bat, I started running, and then I felt the ball bounce off the tip of the glove," Castro said through an interpreter. "I just threw my right hand at it and I was able to catch it."
Castro said he has never previously made a catch that had the same kind of surprising element. When he returned to his locker after the game, he found his phone filled with messages from many of his friends and relatives.
"My cousins have been sending me the play that they saw back home," Castro said. "So, they made sure I got all of the updates."
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Castro has impressed the Braves with the defensive wizardry he has provided when he has been given a chance to play over the past two seasons. Since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on April 13, the 23-year-old infielder has also hit enough to earn a chance to play on a daily basis at either second base or shortstop.