DENVER -- Leadoff hitter is the latest job description for Rockies all-purpose player Willi Castro, and the early returns are that he is a viable option for manager Warren Schaeffer.
Castro lashed two doubles, scored a run and drove in another to lift the Rockies to a 7-6 victory over the Rangers at cold and rainy Coors Field on Monday night.
Edouard Julien’s .324 average through April made him the first option at the top of the order, a spot he has occupied 27 times. But Juilien has gone 3-for-40 in May, including active stretches of 1-for-26 in his last nine games and 0-for-19 in his last six.
However, Schaeffer’s matchup-oriented roster allows him to try different guys. Jordan Beck, who went to the 10-day injured list on Monday with a left hamstring strain, has done it seven times, mainly against left-handed pitching. Jake McCarthy has led off five times, Troy Johnston three, and Mickey Moniak and Tyler Freeman two apiece.
The switch-hitting Castro has done it twice this homestand, and the Rockies have won both games.
According to Schaeffer, Beck sustained his injury during fielding activities before Saturday’s game against Diamondbacks lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Castro led off and went 2-for-4 in the Rockies’ 4-2 victory.
This time, Castro doubled to begin a two-run first inning against Rangers lefty starter MacKenzie Gore, who left at the end of the inning with left lat tightness.
Batting right-handed in the sixth, Castro swatted a double to right-center to drive in a needed run that expanded the Rockies’ lead to 7-3.
The new assignment may be what Castro, in the first year of a two-year deal with the Rockies, needs to find lasting consistency. Before Saturday’s solid night, he was in an 0-for-15 stretch over five games. And if there is a place for Castro to find his swing, Coors is it. He entered Monday slashing .339/.394/.424 in his first 18 games at Coors, as opposed to .147/.205/.250 in 20 road games.