CHICAGO -- Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro received a nice ovation upon his return to Wrigley Field on Friday, but Cubs fans weren't too happy when he collided with catcher Willson Contreras in the sixth inning of Chicago's 3-2 loss.
With one out, Castro hustled to beat a throw from third baseman Kristopher Bryant for a hit, and Aaron Judge then singled to chase Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks. Didi Gregorius lofted the ball to center and it dropped in front of sliding Jonathan Jay to load the bases.
Chase Headley then flew out to Jason Heyward in right. Castro hesitated, but he then sprinted home. Heyward got the ball to Contreras in time, and Castro and the catcher collided, with Castro's right shoulder hitting Contreras in the face.
"When the line drive was hit, [Castro] hesitated, and I thought he was going to stay on third," Contreras said. "Once the throw was made, all my focus was on the throw. I didn't expect [Castro] to come home. I'm good, I'm fine."
Castro knew he hit Contreras hard, and he felt if he tried to go behind the catcher, he might have had a chance to score.
"We were going in the same direction," Castro said. "I think if I go the other way, I might be safe."
Contreras fell to the ground and was attended to by athletic trainer PJ Mainville and manager Joe Maddon. After a few minutes, Contreras was able to get up and walk off the field under his own power.
"It's baseball," Contreras said. "Those things are going to happen once in a while. It wasn't intentional."