'Hittin' Harold Castro' living up to nickname

It was September 2018 in Venezuela. Harold Castro had wrapped up his Minor League campaign, and although he continued to watch Tigers games on television, his mind had shifted focus to the upcoming season of winter ball.

Then, the phone rang, and just like that, Castro was a Major Leaguer.

“I wasn’t ready for [the call] … I couldn’t believe it,” Castro said. “I think it helped me a lot, because every little thing can happen in this sport.”

Castro’s batting average has hovered around .300 in three seasons since, no small feat for a 27-year-old who has yet to secure everyday playing time. Lately more than ever though, he’s made it nearly impossible for manager A.J. Hinch to keep him out of the lineup.

Castro has been on a tear in May, hitting .425 with a double, seven RBIs and six multi-hit games across 10 games entering Friday's series opener against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. This includes three hits and three RBIs on Wednesday, three hits during Spencer Turnbull’s no-hitter on Tuesday and a 10th-inning walk-off single on Saturday.

“Harold’s a good hitter. He knows a ball from a strike. He knows what he handles well. He can hit early in the count. He can hit late in the count,” Hinch said. “It’s why I nicknamed him, 'Hittin’ Harold Castro.'”

Castro is primarily a singles hitter, enough so that Hinch said the team had a good chuckle with its utilityman after he doubled on Tuesday. Now that he’s found his way to first time and again, is there any pressure on Hittin’ Harold Castro to become a slugger?

“I have to stay strong, my mind, to not think too much about that,” Castro said. “Because I’m doing a pretty good job hitting, so I don’t want to try to do too much.

“But I’m going to keep practicing in batting practice and the cage. I know doubles and extra bases are going to come soon.”

Restoring the (full) roar at Comerica

After the State of Michigan announced it would lift capacity restrictions at outdoor events beginning June 1, the Tigers announced on Friday they have added “a much more robust selection of seats” for ticketing beginning with the six-game homestand that opens on June 8.

While individual tickets are still only available for purchase for June games, the club soon plans to open ticket sales for the rest of the season.

In 2020, Comerica Park was closed to fans due to COVID-19, and it has been operating at a limited capacity since Opening Day 2021.

Reyes taking Toledo time seriously

Victor Reyes entered Friday with a nine-game hitting streak at Triple-A Toledo. More important than the numbers, Hinch said, Reyes is making smart decisions such as swinging at the right pitches and controlling the strike zone to extend at-bats.

“He’s had a nice little run, and he’s taken it to heart what he needs to do to get back on track,” Hinch said. “A little stint in Triple-A has proved to be worthwhile for him.

“Now, we kind of have to look at how can we rearrange our roster to provide opportunity if this continues and he’s one of the best guys we can bring up. I’m proud of him for taking [the move] constructively and going down and doing well, and we’re paying close attention and making all considerations and possibility.”

Detroit has several potential options to make room for Reyes’ return, including potentially swapping Reyes for JaCoby Jones, who’s heated up lately but is still slashing .172/.206/.258 through 33 games. With versatile catchers on staff, Jake Rogers could also head to Toledo, leaving Eric Haase to slide into a more traditional backup catcher role instead of spending time in left field.

Tigers tidbits

• Derek Holland tossed a hitless inning with a strikeout and a hit batter at Toledo on Thursday. Hinch said the plan for Holland, who’s been out since May 6 with a left shoulder strain, is to pitch multiple innings on Saturday before the Tigers decide whether to have him work one more Minors game or rejoin Detroit as it opens its next homestand.

“I think he was [throwing] mid-90s again, like he was at the tail end of Spring Training, so that was good to see,” Hinch said. “I think the injury component, we’ve answered that question, and he’s able to pitch at a high level.”

• Friday marked 44 games into the 2021 season and the first time Hinch has repeated a lineup, with the same nine Tigers at the same nine positions.