Extra bases

• Starlin Castro was headed to New York to be with his girlfriend, who is expecting their first child. Castro was expected to rejoin the team Friday or Saturday in Houston.

The shortstop, who turned 23 on Sunday, was batting .378 this spring, and played nine innings on Tuesday night.

• The Cubs will say goodbye to HoHoKam Park after Thursday's game. The team has called the ballpark its Spring Training home since its first game there, Feb. 28, 1997, against the Mariners. Fittingly, the Cubs will wrap up the 2013 Cactus League season against the Mariners. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. CT.

The Cubs are 132-118-13 all-time in Cactus League play at HoHoKam Park over 17 seasons.

Just because the big league team is leaving after Thursday's game, it doesn't mean HoHoKam will be dormant. The Cubs' Minor Leaguers will play there this spring before breaking camp for their respective sites, plus the stadium will host the team's Arizona Rookie League squad this summer.

The Mesa Solar Sox also will play Arizona Fall League games at HoHoKam, starting in October.

The Athletics have signed a 20-year lease to play at HoHoKam, starting in 2015. Among the changes they will make is a new video scoreboard, wider seats and a bigger clubhouse.

The Cubs are moving to a new facility, currently being built in west Mesa at the intersection of highways 101 and 202, and scheduled to be ready for 2014 Spring Training.

• Outfielder Brett Jackson played in a Minor League game Wednesday and got some at-bats. Jackson, sidelined with a strained right shoulder, was expected to play four or five innings on Thursday. He will open the season at Triple-A Iowa.